Stop Settling For A Rice Cake

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare." — Isaiah 55:2 (NIV)

When my granddaughter was five years old, I offered her a snack I thought she would love. Instead of accepting it, she looked at me and shared some profound wisdom:

"Grandma, a treat should be something you like."

That simple statement stopped me in my tracks. How often do we settle for exactly the opposite? We settle for things that do not truly fulfill us, simply because they are convenient, expected, or seemingly "good enough."

From that day forward, I made a shift. I stopped settling for a dry rice cake when what I actually wanted and deserved was a Hershey's bar.

About Rice Cakes

Most people know that rice cakes are just rice that has been shaped, condensed, or puffed. They range from savory steamed snacks and dense desserts to light, crispy, and diet-friendly puffed breakfast foods. They are famously gluten-free and can be eaten plain or flavored with salt, chocolate, cinnamon, or caramel.

Puffed rice cakes are very low in calories (typically 30 to 70 calories per cake, depending on size) and fat. Because they are gluten-free, they serve as a popular bread substitute for those on low-calorie diets.

No matter how they are described, rice cakes are not ideal treats for children or adults.

The Lesson I Learned

The lesson I learned from my granddaughter that day was that a treat reaches far beyond our physical appetites. It speaks directly to our spiritual lives. God did not create us to live on spiritual substitutes or to settle for the cheap imitations this world offers.

Isaiah 55:2 asks us why we spend our energy on things that fail to satisfy. Yet, daily, we fill our schedules with busywork instead of purpose, tolerate toxic mindsets instead of pursuing peace, and settle for a lukewarm faith when God promises us an abundant life. We treat joy, rest, and divine fulfillment as optional luxuries rather than the very "rich treats" God desires to feed us.

Settling for less than God’s best is often a symptom of fear or unworthiness. We worry that if we reject the bland "rice cakes" of life, we will end up with nothing at all. Therefore, we settle for what the world offers us, whether we like it or not. Actually, I believe settling for less is poor stewardship because we devalue our true wealth.

My Confession

I have repented in sackcloth and ashes because I have settled for many things to please others, for fear that I didn't deserve better, and for not trusting my Heavenly Father, who is a lavish provider. I have learned that when I accept rice cakes to fill me, I neglect the space that is reserved to receive true goodness.

I have learned to stop compromising my peace and my joy for what doesn't satisfy. Now I refuse to settle for empty substitutes like rice cakes. After learning the lesson my granddaughter taught me, I now allow my heart, mind, and spiritual appetite to help me enjoy the rich, satisfying life God has prepared for me.

Identify your "rice cake" today. Reflect on one area where you are settling for less than God's best. Write it down, pray over it, and commit to pursuing what truly fulfills you.

"Exchange your rice cakes for actual treats that you like, whether they are Hershey's bars or something else."