Crossroads: What ‘yeast’ do we allow in our lives?

Then roll the dough out, cook it in a frying pan for a couple of minutes and you have made flat bread.

Did you know that you can grab those same ingredients and add just one more and you can make a dough that will turn out like a regular loaf of bread?

It will rise, it will have more flavour, it will have that fluffy texture that we associate with fresh bread.

What is that ingredient? It is simply, yeast.

It is yeast that gives rise, flavour and texture to the bread.

Amazingly it only takes a small amount of yeast to have this incredible effect.

A dough made with three cups of flour only needs one teaspoon of yeast to transform it from flatbread to a regular loaf.

So, why am I writing about bread and yeast?

Well, Jesus once warned his disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees, two groups of people with a lot of influence and power in their day.

Jesus was not talking about the yeast found in bread but rather to beware of how the teachings of these groups influence his followers’ thoughts and actions.

So, just as yeast in dough gives rise, flavour and texture to bread; likewise, the yeast that we allow into our lives will give rise, flavour and texture to the life that we live.

The things we believe, the way we act, the things we pursue will determine the kind of lives that we live.

Some are obvious, such as how our upbringing and education shape our beliefs.

Others are smaller, almost unnoticeable.

The question to ponder is simply this; what yeast do we allow in our lives?

If we do an honest self-assessment on who we are, what we believe, why we act the way do; can we pinpoint what has led us to that point?

Do we value the pursuit of fame and fortune? Do we chase experiences? Do we crave relationships?

These are big things that are influenced by how we were raised, the company we keep and the media we consume.

Smaller examples are how telling little white lies, can (unchecked) lead to habitual deceit.

Or how ongoing annoyances can lead us to respond angrily to minor inconveniences.

Jesus provides the ultimate example for us to follow.

John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Anything that we allow to have influence and importance in our life will either lead us to Jesus or pull us away from him.

Do we want to live a life influenced by Jesus or by something else?

The yeast we allow into our lives will give rise, flavour and texture to the life that we live.

So, what yeast are you allowing in your life?

— Chris Stevenson, Epicentre Church