During my senior year of English in high school, I studied the concept of literary analysis, which is distinguishing the different pieces in a literary work and determining how they relate to each other. The other day when we were discussing chapter 11 of The Jesus I Never Knew, I was hit by how much Jesus’ disciples changed after they saw him post-resurrection, and how that event was really a pivot point around which the disciples' behavior turns. “The 11 men who had deserted him at death now went to martyrs’ graves avowing their faith in a resurrected Christ.” Obviously something big caused them to change their intentions and plans for their futures.
One visible result of this change was that they really no longer cared what the world thought of them; so much so that they chose to die instead of relinquish that in which they believed. Do you think it was at this point in their lives when they experienced true freedom? Not physical freedom, because, obviously, this chain of events led them to their deaths. But a freedom to walk boldly in what they believed?
What would happen if we could grasp this freedom? If we really “got it,” if we really understood that the most powerful being in the universe not only died for us, but rose from the dead, would that change how we live? In a sense, if we were given the disciples’ chance to react to the resurrection, what would happen?
I think I would stop worrying.
How am I going to pay for the rest of college? What am I going to do when the car I’m currently driving breaks down? Who am I going to live with next year? Am I going to get married? How should I go about that process? What if my friends get scared away by the ideas I have about faith? How is the boy checking my ID at the AC going to react if I make a comment about the book he’s reading? What if my communications professor is offended by the spiritual examples I write about on my exam? What if my advice to my friend isn’t really something she wants to hear so she gets upset? What if my father thinks I’ve gone off the deep end? What if those in spiritual leadership over me think I’m nuts? What if following God means giving up material comfort or living in a hut somewhere in Africa? What if he calls me to be single? What if following God means never having free time again?
I think I would stop worrying, because all this stuff DOESN’T MATTER.
I KNOW WHO I AM. I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING. I should have enough faith in my God to trust that he will take care of me in the interim. Ultimately, his plan for me will be much better than my plan for me.
If only I could step out and live as if I truly believed that. I would be so free. I would not be afraid of fear, of rejection. I wouldn’t be hindered by the ways others discourage me. I would be capable of walking through life without worrying about myself, or my situation.
There’s a Newsboys song with a line that I love: “It’s God’s safe harbor, why play it safe?” God has already bought us, and won the battle, and secured our futures. We have nothing to fear in this area. Why do we still “play it safe”? It’s his harbor we’re sailing around in. We have nothing important to lose. He’s got it under control. He is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, faithful enough, compassionate enough to take care of us. We don’t need to worry about ourselves. We have nothing to lose by pursuing his example with all of our being.
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“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:5-7)
2 comments:
That's a good question: What would happen if we "got it?" I wonder how much we want to "get it" sometimes. It may mean that I do live in a hut somewhere in Africa. There's a big risk in trusting God because it means we don't get to decide on the path. Maybe God's path leads to Africa, maybe it leads to my backyard, maybe it means I'll be single, maybe married, we don't know. It's scary not knowing, not being in control, and despite knowing God's way is best, that doesn't make it that much easier.
I think the risk is worth it though. To make Jesus Lord means to give him the steering wheel of my life. I think we do have something to lose by following God but the we gain something in return. We just have to decide if it's worth the cost.
Tough stuff. I don't consider myself a big worrier, but I can definitely identify with some of those questions in your list. I guess the follow-on question I have is, what would it take for us to "get it"?
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