During my first visit to North Carolina back in 1993, I remember going to Tracie's grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a culinary experience unlike any I had encountered before. I vividly recall looking at a big pot filled with leafy greens and wondering why they were boiling the salad. Then, I grabbed a handful of what I assumed were banana chips, only to be told it was sliced squash.

That day, I was introduced to foods I had never seen before: okra, pinto beans, collard greens, and much more. Admittedly, I didn't appreciate any of it because I wasn’t a fan of vegetables, but the family absolutely loved it. And no one could cook like Grandma. All hail Grandma!

However, amidst all the praise for Grandma’s cooking, no one thought to compliment the farmer. Grandma had spent long hours in the kitchen preparing the food, but the fruits and vegetables she used had taken weeks and months to grow. The farmer had toiled over each of those crops with sweat and hard labor, nurturing them from seeds to harvest. Occasionally, someone might say, “That was some good fruit,” but more often than not, it was along the lines of, “Grandma made the best apple pie today!”

This got me thinking about how often we focus our praise on the cook and overlook the farmer. It’s a lot like what happens in church. What preacher doesn’t enjoy hearing, “Great sermon today!” or, “You did an excellent job with that passage!”? But how much attention in our churches is slipping away from the Author and Creator of the Word and being directed toward the speaker and deliverer of it?

I know I appreciate hearing applause, but when I think about the future of my life and ministry, I’d much rather keep my focus on the Lord of the Harvest than on how creatively I “cook” a message each week. Just something to consider.

Do you find yourself giving praise to the cook—or to the Creator?