Do you have a favorite skillet or pan you prefer to use when you cook? As I have grown older, I have developed a love for cast iron. When I first got married, I thought cast iron was for old people. Don’t judge me. I was naive and young – and probably lazier than I’d like to admit when it came to cooking. But as I began to use a cast iron skillet, it became my preferred “dish” to cook things in.
I learned some things about cast iron skillets, some of which came from making mistakes and some from other women who shared their wisdom. Most importantly, I learned they need to be seasoned and you don’t clean them with soap or harsh chemicals. So many things we have and use each day can teach us about the Lord and His ways. Even a cast-iron skillet!
When you season a cast iron skillet, you first spread a thin layer of melted shortening or vegetable oil over the dry skillet and bake in the oven at high heat for about an hour. The oil provides a protective layer to the cooking surface and prevents rust, flaking, dull and dry patches from forming.
The Bible mentions a similar concept with oil when describing anointing. The anointing of individuals or things was to set them apart, making them holy and dedicated to the Lord and His service. The anointing with oil was an outward sign of an inward decision of obedience.
Exodus 40:9, “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy.”
As believers, we are kind of like that cast iron skillet. We have been anointed by the Holy Spirit. We have been set apart and made holy by the indwelling Holy Spirit upon salvation.
1 John 2:20, “And you have an anointing from the Holy One and you all know the truth.”
Because of this anointing by the Holy Spirit given to all believers, we have the resources for knowing God’s truth. Just like the oil in the iron skillet adds a protective layer to prevent rust and other ill effects from forming, the Holy Spirit’s anointing inside us gives us an added layer of protection from the lies of the enemy and the sin that so easily entangles us.
The next step in the seasoning process of the skillet after applying a layer of oil is to place it in the oven at high heat. When oils or fats are heated in cast iron at a high enough temperature, they change from a wet liquid into a slick, hardened surface through a process called polymerization.
After receiving salvation, people are often told their life will be peaceful and they will have joy in the Lord forever. One important thing is left out – we will endure the heat. We will endure fiery trials in our life.
John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
We will have tribulation. We will be put through the heat in life. Receiving salvation does not exclude trials in your life. You will still experience sickness, the death of loved ones, and other effects of living in a sin-sick world. And each time we are “put through the fire”, like the skillet placed in the oven, we are forming a strong, protective layer over our faith.
We begin our life with God with faith (2 Peter 1:1), but faith progresses into virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love – love being the capstone of all God’s work in us (2 Peter 1:5-7). These are like the protective layer formed over the cooking surface of a cast iron skillet. Each layer building on top of the layer beneath it. And just as a well-seasoned skillet will have a dark, semi-gloss finish, we too should be “smoother” on the surface as we allow the Lord to work in and through us.
In order for us to be “seasoned”, we must go through the process of applying the oil and going through the heat. These are the “seasons” over a lifetime. It takes time for the Lord to complete His work in you and make you who He wants you to be. These “seasons” are necessary and beneficial to you and your walk with the Lord. Trust His process.
Once we have been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and put through the heated trials of life, we don’t just sit on the sideline or stuff ourselves away in isolation. Just like you don’t take your seasoned cast iron skillet and put it in the cabinet or place it on a shelf and forget about it. You use it. You cook in it. You work with it. So it is with us as believers. We get our hands dirty and get involved in the lives of those around us. We share the Gospel. We serve others. We help, encourage, pray for, and love the people God puts in our path.
And as you already know, with cooking comes cleaning. It is highly advised not to use lots of soap or harsh chemicals when cleaning cast iron skillets because it removes the work that was completed through the seasoning process. Over time, the soap removes that protective layer that was put down during the seasoning. Many recommendations for cleaning cast iron include the use of salt and warm water.
Throughout our life as believers, we are going to get dirty from the work we do for the Lord. Life gets messy and we need to clean up just like that skillet. But we don’t clean ourselves with worldly things like self-help books or seeking counsel from lost people. We need to be cleaned with salt – God’s truth, and rinsed with water – the Living Water, Jesus Christ.
We need something abrasive to get the junk out, and God’s Word provides that conviction and correction that we need to confront the messy sin in our life. We also need to be rinsed clean from sin, and repentance is key. Confession and repentance should be daily things. Just like you clean that skillet after every use, we should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when He is trying to call our attention to the dirt in our hearts that needs to be cleaned up. We are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word (Eph. 5:26).
If the cleaning process is ignored, signs of neglect will be noticeable. When we don’t spend time in God’s Word, our spiritual growth is stunted. Like a cast iron skillet, we become susceptible to rust, flaking, and dry patches forming. We start to compromise with sin and allow ungodly counsel to influence our choices. We grow cold in our faith and are at risk of falling away from the Lord.
Where are you in your spiritual journey with the Lord? Have you received His anointing by the Holy Spirit upon salvation? Are you going through the heat? Are you in need of a deep cleaning? If you have not placed your faith in Christ, why wait? Seek Him and call on His name for salvation. Confess that you are a sinner and repent of your sin. Surrender to Jesus and place your trust in Him as Savior and Lord of your life.