Eat More Beef!

Heading East toward Amarillo on Highway 40, we weren't expecting this!  An attention grabbing bossy wooing the famished to gorge themselves.  Draped on the cow's ample flanks are emblazoned the words, "Free 72 Oz. Steak."  The big fella is the PR invention of The Big Texan Steak Ranch, RJ "Bob" Lee's legendary Amarillo attraction where over 40,000 have tried, and 8,000 have succeeded.  Those whose names are enrolled on the "Wall of Fame" have eaten the required salad, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, dinner roll, and, yes, a four and half pound slab of beef in less than 60 minutes.

As a marketing strategy, I can't fault The Big Texan.  They got my attention with their bodacious bovine.  But I wonder, does something not seem a little skewed here?  Is there anyone out there who would champion the benefits (health or otherwise) of such a rapacious act of consumption?  What, exactly, has someone gained by "winning" this challenge?

The apostle Paul enjoins his prodigy Timothy to fight the good fight.  His words suggest that there is nothing good served by fighting well the bad fight, the fight that isn’t worth fighting.  His words call us to be selective about hills we are going to die on, the places where we are going to make our stand, the goals toward which we will strive.  A HS football coach once told me, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”  I don’t question Coach B's counsel, but I also know that the winner in a contest worth fighting refuses to dissipate his energies in lesser pursuits.

So today, I purpose to fight the good fight!  I will seek to apply my best efforts to the things most worth doing and avoid the lure of "winning" at what doesn't matter.    

Comments

[cbcaver]

Well, once again you have challenged me...to apply my efforts toward things that REALLY matter. Now, How does one determine WHAT goes in that category? What would you say REALLY matters?

[Rock]

You will not find me eating 4 1/2 lbs. of beef at one sitting, no siree. But two hills I have chosen to die on are: 1) positively investing in the lives of other people, and 2) spending time reading, learning, and growing to apprehend "life" so that I'm equipped to be a "lifeline" to others. Looks like this site will be a resource for "life."

[mjcarruthers]

I look at the huge "bodacious bovine" and it makes me think about all the big distractions in life. All the obvious things we can let slide in. The big things that pull at us..."Spend time over here!" Which then leads me to the thought that I must focus and listen, so that I don't miss the small things that God wants me to be faithful with. The challenges I face present a fork in the road. Do I turn the way where the path looks well traveled because it is easier? Do I take the path that needs more footsteps, in order that others will also see the need to follow that path, although it is more challenging. I vote for leaving my footprints on a path less traveled. A path where faithfulness will count for something.

[Bubba matthews]

I have a couple of thoughts, one is a thread I'd pick up on from Cindy's comment.

1. Figuring out what hills to die on is perhaps one of the hardest things for a Christian to figure out. Sure there are the "we all agree on these hills" such as the accurate transmition of the Gospel and the charater of God. But what about the other hills? Hills that are my hills and not yours and hills that are yours but not anyone elses, or maybe not as many other peoples. Those hills are the hard ones to figure out and I think are only found when we pursue God in our own personal relationship with Him. I think those hills can't be found in any way other than the alive relationship with God.

2. Living in Texas now I have a greater understanding for this type of advertising. AHH. Anyway, my first thought was how much is wasted, shrimp, 4.5 lbs of steak, salad, bread ect. that one person will consume simply to have their name on a wall when thousands around the world go hungry. God is cracking and breaking my heart over the last year or so about the amount of money, time, resources i've simply wasted on things that result in nothing but a "my name on a wall in some restraunt in the middle of texas" reward.