Ain’t That A VHIT
By Von C. Howard
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to give God the leftovers of your life? The prayers you utter while rushing out the door, the quiet thanks whispered between texts and emails, the small pieces of attention left over after a busy day. We wouldn’t serve guests yesterday’s cold food and call it a meal, so why would we offer God anything less than our best? He deserves the main course of our hearts, fresh, intentional, and overflowing with love.
There are times I’ve had to face this hard truth: after long days of work, family responsibilities, and the pressures that come with everyday life, I’ve offered Him what’s left instead of what’s best, a half-read scripture, a distracted “Thank You, Lord” whispered while my mind races ahead.
It’s like inviting a guest to dinner and handing them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Wonder Bread while the aroma of a freshly cooked meal fills the house. I think about my grandmother’s kitchen: cornbread baking, greens seasoned with turkey wings just right, smothered chicken in a cast iron skillet on the stove, and a pound cake in the oven. That warm, rich, comforting aroma hit your senses before you even walked through the door. Someone had taken the time, poured in the love, and served the best. That’s exactly how God deserves our hearts, fresh, intentional, full of care, not the reheated leftovers of our day.
I’ll be honest, I’m still growing. Some mornings, I hit snooze instead of starting with prayer. Some nights, I scroll my phone instead of sitting quietly with God’s Word. But even then, I feel the Spirit nudging me: He doesn’t want scraps; He wants my best.
Malachi 1 comes to mind, where God confronted Israel for bringing Him scraps instead of their finest. He asked, “Would you give this to your governor? Would he accept you?” (v. 8). If we wouldn’t offer our boss, loved ones, or friends our worst, why would we give that to the One who gave us life?
God gave us His best. John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Jesus didn’t hold anything back on Calvary, He gave all. That’s not leftovers. That’s the main course.
Life in 2025 is busy. Between work, family, social media, and responsibilities that never seem to end, it’s easy to let God slip into the background. But giving God our best doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about intention. About making Him first. About giving Him the aroma of love, effort, and time, freshly prepared, like a soul food meal on a Sunday afternoon, filling every corner of the house with warmth.
When I reflect on giving God my all, Norman Hutchins’ gospel song “I Owe It All” comes to mind. That song reminds me that everything I have, every blessing, talent, and breath, comes from Him. To offer God anything less than my best is to forget whose I truly am.
And Al Green’s timeless lyric resonates deeply: “Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad, I’ll be loving you.” God deserves our unwavering commitment, our hearts, focus, and devotion, even when life is messy. Giving Him our best is a wholehearted offering, not leftovers, not half-hearted devotion.
Giving God the main course looks like starting my day with prayer before checking my phone. It looks like tuning into worship music on the drive instead of getting lost in noise. It looks like giving from the first fruits of my resources instead of what’s left after spending on everything else. It’s showing up with the fullness of my heart, mind, and spirit because God deserves nothing less.
I think about my grandparents and the generations before me. They didn’t have much, but they gave God their best anyway. They dressed in their Sunday finest, walked miles to church, and lifted their voices in song and prayer with everything they had. That was their main course, rich, full, intentional devotion. If they could do that in the midst of struggle, surely, I can give God my best in times of abundance.
So, here’s the question we all must ask ourselves: Are we giving God scraps of attention, tired energy, leftovers? Or are we giving Him the main course, fresh and full, like a soul food meal on a quiet Sunday afternoon made with care and love?
The God who has carried us, blessed us, and redeemed us is still worthy of our best. He doesn’t want yesterday’s leftovers. He wants the main course. Every day is a chance to bring Him our fresh, fully prepared hearts.
Starting today, I intend to serve Him my best, hot, seasoned with love, and ready to be shared. Because when we give God the main course, He fills our lives in ways leftovers never could.
