Dessert Motivated Me

Growing up, we sat down at the table every night as a family for dinner.

We said “grace” (a prayer) before eating.

Dinner was always homemade. Often, some element of the dinner came from our garden.

And my favorite part of the story… we ALWAYS had dessert.

Yeah, I grew up Old School.

For many years, we memorized a chapter of Scripture together as a family—verse by verse, night after night.

I still have many of those verses—and even chapters—committed to memory.

My mom used a simple motivation to get us to memorize the verse of the day…

Dessert.

You didn’t get your dessert until you memorized the verse.

Dessert motivated me. I never went a night without having my dessert.

It still brings a smile to my face thinking about how my dad was usually the last one at the table, struggling to memorize the verse, and getting frustrated that everyone else had already received their dessert.

I’m thankful for my parents who taught me the importance of reading, knowing, believing, memorizing, and living God’s Word. It’s kinda Old School, I know… but so good.

I want to pass on that same high regard for God’s Word to the next generation.

There’s a verse I love in the Bible describing one man’s commitment to God’s Word:

“Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching… its truth and ways.” (Ezra 7.10 MSG)

Ezra was motivated. He committed himself to discovering God’s Word.

I don’t know, maybe he used dessert as a motivation too.

All I know is: he held God’s Word in high regard. He valued it. He devoted himself to discovering what God is saying through the written Word.

He studied it.

He lived (obeyed) it.

And he shared what he learned and lived with others.

Old School? Yes, definitely.

Worth it? Absolutely. We need it!