I LOVE Chinese food.

I love everything about it.  It is wonderful for my belly in some of the best ways – taste and um…taste.  Delicious!

I find that there are usually two kinds of people when it comes to Chinese food:

1. First are those like myself.  These kinds of people realize the delicious saucy goodness that it is.  They love the taste, the smell, the look, everything!  And just me mentioning it is driving those people crazy right now.  They want it!  They may even get some at some point today or tomorrow, just because it’s on their mind! (I’m sorry about that…no, I’m not.)
2. Then there is the other type.  These people have preconceived perceptions of Chinese food.  It’s “different”. The smell is “odd”. The look is definitely not “right”. They’ll think things like – Who wants to eat all this rice?  Is it supposed to be gooey like that?  What is this meat that I’m actually eating?  These people ask too many questions!  Why does it matter if this place is “sanitary”?  The food is good!  And who really believes the rumor about “cats”?  Sure, those rumors started from probably true experiences… but how does that affect the deliciousness I’m about to eat right now?

Here are my key rules when eating Chinese food.  Follow these and you will be good to go!

• Don’t ask questions!  Just enjoy.  I know this sounds like bad advice, but do you really want to know the answers to the questions you’re about to ask…
• When at a Chinese restaurant, in almost all cases, don’t use the bathrooms!  Enough said.
• Stick to the basics!  Don’t go off the beaten path.  If it sounds odd, it probably will be.  If you don’t expect that they have fresh seafood at this location, they definitely don’t – eat chicken or beef.  Stay with the meals that others order and that are guaranteed to be good.

Here is that most basic rule and #1 rule:  If you’ve never had Chinese food before, order General Tso’s Chicken.  And be ready for your life to be changed FOREVER!

This is easily the most popular Chinese food in America – General Tso’s Chicken.  It is so delicious and wonderful – for real!  The combination of crunchy and soft, sweet and spicy – perfection!

I like General Tso’s Chicken so much that the other day I watched a special on it.  I was curious – who is this wonderful general?  And why is his chicken so amazing?

You know what I found out?  Disappointment.  It’s not his chicken!  General Tso is apparently a popular general from Chinese history.  He was a general for his people.  Super loved.  But the thing he is most famous for (at least with me) – his chicken – is not even his.  It wasn’t invented in China.  It wasn’t around in his day.  Where he was from they didn’t even eat food that was sweet and spicy.  He never had chicken close to this!

MIND BLOWN!  We have been fed, literally fed, a lie!  All this time and it’s not even his chicken…

Okay, so I don’t really care.  The chicken is still delicious, and at least it doesn’t sound like General Tso was a bad guy!  But it raises the question – how long have I enjoyed something, partaken in something, and never really knew who or what it was about?  Many of us are Christians just like this.  We say we’re Christians, but we don’t truly know what that means, what we believe, let alone for why or for what reasons.  We like things about Christianity, but we don’t really know God or Jesus Christ for ourselves.

Because of this we often struggle to truly live the life we think we should as a Christian.  We often find purity, holiness, peace, joy, contentment, (the list goes on) out of reach, unattainable.  But how can we be or find those things in Christianity, when we don’t even know the God and Savior upon whom it was founded?

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT) says it simply:

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

What Peter says is very simple but so important and profound – you want to live a godly life?  Then know God.  It is that simple – KNOW GOD.

You want to grow, mature, further yourself, be useful, make a difference, find peace, live in joy and contentment, purify your heart, reach holiness – then get busy knowing God and Jesus Christ.  Get into God’s Word (the Bible) daily, find devotionals that connect you with God, pray often, listen to God in silence, fill your head with His praise and thanks.  Christianity is a relationship, with God and Jesus Christ.  Relationships take work.  Put in the work to know God.

As 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, God has given us everything we need, the opportunity and tools are in your hands.  Do you have a struggle, a decision, a stress, a pain?  The opportunity for help and guidance to handle this moment is within reach.  You can achieve it.  KNOW GOD.