“What’s On Your Backburner?”

By Jeannette Haley

   Everyone who has a stove knows that the burners on the back are commonly referred to as the backburners. On our glass-top stove, there are three of them, one of which is simply for warming. All three are smaller in circumference than the front burners. The two front burners accommodate larger pots and pans and are used for the main part of the meal. Therefore, whatever is on a back burner is generally considered, because of its size, to be of less importance even though it may compliment or enhance the main dish.

       In case you’re wondering: no, this article is not about food for the belly, but rather food for thought because all of us have something akin to a backburner in our mind. Sometimes, like the smaller pots sitting on the backburners that don’t require as much attention, what’s on the backburner of our mind can easily be ignored, but never completely forgotten because it has a subtle, yet constant influence on one’s opinions, attitudes, and choices just as ignoring what’s on the backburner when it comes to food can alter or diminish the culinary effect of the main course by altering its presentation, substance, flavor, or nutritional value. 

       But what about the backburners of the mind? Many Christians present themselves as genuine “full-meal deals” even when the truth is that sitting on the backburner of their mind, they have retained the right to personal opinions, goals, ideas, agendas or plans. These hidden desires, affections or proclivities have not been surrendered to the Lordship of Christ for any number of personal reasons such as fear of completely letting go, or lack of faith, resentment, unforgiveness or a root of bitterness. In addition, there is the “simmering pot” of youthful lusts (which we have encountered in Christians of all ages) which they harbor and refuse to give up along with a “side dish” of silly romantic notions. After all, “how can it be wrong when it feels so right,” right?

       Sometimes the “pot” on a person’s backburner is so small, dark, and obscure that it’s easy to waive it off as insignificant, so why worry about it?  However, the contents of this little black pot can be lethal if not brought to the light and properly and permanently discarded. The toxic ingredients of secret sins in the thought life such as lust, adultery, covetousness, greed, jealousy, rebellion, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, unbelief, and witchcraft are idolatrous, and are, along with other seemingly “insignificant” mental offenses towards God, often excused because such sins are considered as “Oh well. That’s just me.” (See Galatians 5:19-21.)

       Furthermore, it’s not unusual for unfulfilled childhood and youthful dreams, fantasies and ideas of how life should be, or, on the other hand, disappointments because “I didn’t get what I desperately wanted,” or how life “didn’t treat me right when I was a kid” can also be stored on a person’s backburner along with the grandiose notion that someday, somehow, in some way I’m going to either “make it happen” or “get what I really want” in spite of, or in addition to, being a professing Christian. In other words, instead of “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain” we form our own religious doctrine that embraces our personal prized proclivities on the backburner, while telling ourselves that Jesus really is our all in all.

       Because the traditional, organized, lukewarm Laocidean, apostate churches have miserably failed to obey the LORD in their failure to make strong, grounded, faithful disciples of Christ, teaching the whole counsel of the Word of God (including Lordship); teaching how to study and “rightly divide the Word,” and how to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” we are now facing a crisis of genuine biblical faith in the God of the Bible. For proof of this, you have to look no further than what’s been reserved on the shadowy backburners in the minds of religious people who are double-minded, possess divided hearts, and are obsessed with a love for the world and all the pleasures it offers. (See James 1:8; 4:8; 1 John 2:15, 16.) Such weak and unstable souls are easily deceived by the mesmerizing siren song of ecumenicalism and syncretism that is moving over the whole earth.

       Scripture gives us many examples and warnings about this very human state. Take Adam, for example. He was given the responsibility to “tend” (or guard) the garden, which he may have done to a point. For how long, we do not know, but he apparently had such a preoccupation thinking about what was simmering on the “backburner” of his mind that he neglected to keep Satan out. No doubt his problem concerned the tree the Lord God told him to not eat from because he had no problem watching Eve eat it, and then trying it for himself. In the Book of Job we learn that what was in the back of Adam’s mind was definitely not anything beneficial, but instead hidden transgression and iniquity. (Job 31:33.) At the core of rebellion is self and the desire to be independent of God; in other words, be your own god.

       Like Adam, it’s easy for us hide, even from ourselves, what we really feel, think, want, love or truly believe. However, the truth is, nothing is hidden from God. “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off” Psalm 139:2. (See Matthew 12:25; 22:18; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17; John 2:25.) The problem is, instead of taking time to be still and do a “deep dive” by examining what’s on the backburner of our own minds and hearts in light of Scripture, it’s easy to find ourselves caught up in the rush, noise and busyness of the world. Consumed by the current of entertainment flowing through mainstream Christianity, most of the church remains unaware of just where the modern current is taking them. After all, it sounds religious enough because “Christian” is attached to it; it feels good, so it “can’t be all that bad” and, it looks as if everybody is “going with the flow” judging by the overcrowded parking lot or the number of tickets sold. Besides, the Bible tells us to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together,” right? So, it must be biblical to offer a constant array of social events, conferences, potlucks, retreats, picnics, outdoor activities, movie nights, and whatever else floats our way from the current of the world. Besides, a “contemporary,” “hip,” or even “woke” Jesus is more suitable to the fickle tastes of today’s youth, don’t you agree? After all, if the youth can’t accept the real Jesus of the Bible, then what’s wrong with “bringing Jesus up to date” by “tweaking” His words and personality to fit what the “Me Generation” wants?

       Let’s consider Judas, the betrayer. How did he end up this way? After all, Jesus chose him to be one of his disciples. He was part of the group, he walked where Jesus walked, he listened to His teachings, and he was even sent out to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in villages, with the power from on High to heal and cast our demons. And, he was among the disciples whose feet Jesus washed. We know from the Word that Jesus knew full well what was on the backburner of his mind for He said (after He had washed the disciples’ feet) “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all” John 13:10. John 13:27 says this about Judas: “And after the sop [bread] Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”

       We can learn some valuable lessons from Judas, but I’ve never heard a sermon using him as an example of how easy it is for us to deceive ourselves, and end up in a lost state. Following Jesus for three-and-a-half years undoubtedly occupied the “front burners” of Judas’ mind, and yet, there were other dark things simmering on his backburners. We know from Scripture that he was, for one thing, a thief (John 12:6). Therefore, one of the ingredients in the back of his mind was the love of money. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” 1 timothy 6:10. Jesus warned about this terrible snare when He declared, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

       There you have it! Jesus brought it right out into the light for us—the reason so many people are in conflict with themselves. They decide to follow Jesus on the narrow road, but discover soon enough that He has to be their all in all. Jesus has to be your whole life—your reason for living and being. He will not share His “Lordship” over our lives with some other entity, purpose, goal, agenda or cause. You cannot serve both Jesus Christ and the stuff (whatever it is) that lurks in the back of your mind, for sooner or later, if you don’t repent of it, and forsake it altogether, it will manage to boil over and ooze to the surface when you are least prepared for it.

       Consider the example of the children of Israel after they had been delivered by the mighty hand of God from Egypt. At first it was thrilling, exciting, amazing and wondrous for them, but it didn’t take long for their memories of Egypt to become warped and out of perspective. Instead of wholly trusting, loving and following God, their memories of the horrors of slavery and their joy of God’s deliverance switched places with the “backburner” memories of the cuisine they loved.

       There is a familiar saying, “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.” Our Lord taught that there is a price to pay if you want to be a disciple, and you cannot be a disciple if you try to maintain any right to yourself. We have seen many a weak believer suddenly put up a wall and capitulate to the enemy when a strong opportunity, temptation or possible fulfillment of their hidden desires opened up to them, and whatever part of themselves they had not surrendered to Christ, but had reserved on the backburner of their mind, found a way to manifest itself.

       The Bible has names for those who love in word but not in deed, and those who pretend to follow Jesus, but it’s all an outward show. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” 2 Peter 2:1, 2. And, Jesus said, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” Matthew 15:7, 8.

       The bottom line is, we all need to ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and minds, and show us anything that may be on the backburner of our mind that has not been surrendered to His Lordship. Make no mistake about it—those things that you deem as your own precious, private, personal “rights” are what constitutes the heavy baggage, burdens and bondages that weigh you down and hinder your walk and service to the Lord Jesus Christ; and some day, when push comes to shove, if you have not overcome your backburner hindrances, you may hear yourself saying these soul-damning words, “He’s not worth it.”