Have you ever met someone that had the ability to make everything just look easy. I have known friends that in athletics could step on a playing field for the first time and say: "hey it is just a ball what can be so hard about this game." Then of course they were the best player on the field - again. Have you ever known anybody that had the same talent in the classroom or the boardroom. Give him any project any idea and shazam they had it mastered and could explain it so that a seven year old could get it. I really found it hard to not be envious of those guys. I wanted to be just like them!
The cool thing is that Jesus was one of those guys and we should want to be just like him. Jesus was the master of taking any situation or any lesson and making it look easy (and I am sure if he wanted to play soccer - I would have definitely wanted to be on his team:). Whether it by his ability to relate to his audience or communicate, Jesus made teaching look easy. Jesus made it so easy that he wrapped volumes and volumes of philosophy on ethics in one single verse that a five year old could understand: Do to others as you would have them do to you.
How easy is that? Can you imagine the different world that we would live in - if everyone had practiced and continued to practice the "Golden Rule". First of all how many wars would have been averted; slavery would have never occurred; and, so many other terrible tragedies would have been avoided. In my own life I can think of instance after instance where if I, or one of my personal tormentors, had followed this simple standard, my life (childhood especially) would have changed significantly.
In my life this is so hard because it requires a humility that does not come naturally (or culturally). Is it not sad that so many Christians have so much trouble following such a simple rule? Mahatma Gandhi was always very interested in Christianity. He was especially impressed with the Sermon the Mount and the golden rule. When asked why he chose to not become a Christian, Ghandi replied that he had not seen any Christians living by those principles.
What do people see in our lives?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I just wanted to thank Jerry for these thoughts... but also wanted to "add
to" and thank Nick for his thoughts. For the men in my class last night,
it's a similar thought - God works through our weakness! Paul dealt with
his thorn in the flesh and God made him stronger because of it. It's in the
pits and the holes that we look up... that we strengthen our relationship.
Humbleness is usually attained in the toughest times. I find myself
realizing the greatness of God and the weakness of Mike.
Neal Jeffrey talked about athletes bouncing back from injury or defeat to
become stronger and more dedicated. I think there is truth in that! In my
bowling world, it's in the set-backs that I grit my teeth and remind myself
of my talents and abilities and commit myself to more practice and a better
work ethic... When we have "set-backs" or "road blocks" or "storms in our
lives" then IF - and that's a big IF - we are committed to serving God and
giving HIM the glory in our lives - then these "storms" should indeed spur
us on to commiting ourself to do more... not to earn anything... but to
become more like Jesus - to work hard at developing the character of Christ.
Why? So people can see the greatest sermon ever preached! Each of us need
to be humbled by life's storms... who was more humble than Jesus?
Philippians 2:1-8 teaches us that!
That's my 2 cents! :o) Thanks Jerry and Nick for some good thoughts this
morning!
Mike
Post a Comment