Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Who Dat?

My little William is trying to talk. He has a few words he says really well but honestly, most the time I think someone is teaching him Mandarin Chinese while we sleep. One of his many inexplicable phrases sounds like he is saying, "who dat?". Of course, Jeremy and I have picked it up and repeated it back to him a million times so then he really says it a lot. Then we laugh until our face hurts.

That story really has nothing to do with what I wanted to blog about. Just thought I'd share.

Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about is something I talked about on Sunday when I taught in our Bible study class. If you were there and were awake you may remember me mentioning something I had learned in a JKD (Jennifer Kennedy Dean) study: that things have no power over you. Things only have power over us when we give them power. I had used the illustration of chocolate cake. To some people, a rich, thick piece of chocolate cake calls to them and they feel powerless to resist said cake (using myself as an example here). They must eat the cake or suffer the consequences ( i.e., forever regret the lost opportunity of enjoying the cake). At least, that is what your brain is telling you the cake is telling you.

In truth, that cake has no power over you. How do we know? Chocolate cake doesn't call to everyone. That chocolate cake that calls to me doesn't call to my mother. She doesn't like chocolate. She'd just as soon eat a cracker than a piece of chocolate cake. In fact, she'd probably enjoy the cracker more (she's a salty, crunchy snacker).

At this point in the lesson Sunday I missed a HUGE opportunity to point out an extremely important fact: Jesus is all powerful!

Now hang with me and take off your "I've believed in Jesus forever" hat and lets think about this. For most of us, and I'm including myself in this, we say with our mouths we believe in Jesus and believe that He is powerful and yet the reality is that we are pulled and swayed by everyone and everything else. We readily confess we think He is powerful but do we live lives that evidence His power working in us? Do we ever attempt to do anything that seems beyond our own power, our ability, our knowledge, or our skills? 

So, how do we know He has power? How do we really know? Because let me tell you, I WANT TO KNOW. I not only want to know His power is real but I want it realized in my life.

John 12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."

In the context, Jesus is not saying "if" but rather "when" He is lifted up. You can read a few verses before and after to get that in the proper context.

Jesus draws all men unto Himself. All men (mankind). Nothing on, in, or above the earth has that power. Nothing, and no one else, is able to call all men unto itself. Think about that. 

Now, if I listen to the cake and eat it, nothing good happens to me or in me. Not only is my body not nourished the sugar does bad things to my body.

But if I listen to Jesus and "eat" of Him, (i.e. answer His call and follow Him, internalize His truths so that what He says and thinks becomes my governing system) I will be saved, not just from eternal death but from the control of powerless things in this world that I allow to rule over me. (Rom 10:13, 8:37)

Who are you listening to? All the powerless things of this world or the One who is all powerful. Jesus is calling. Are you going to answer?


1 comment:

  1. As Gari would say, mm, mmmm, mmmm!! Good stuff!!!

    ReplyDelete