Weakness or Power?

Last week I was in a nice cabin in the hill country of Georgia.  We were doing planning in a place where there were no disturbances.  No e-mail, no internet access.  It was a beautiful, peaceful place.  Blue sky overhead, our cabin sat in a narrow valley with trees towering all around.  Part of our work was looking at the Gospel of John, chapters 13 to 17, a really familiar, really important and meaningful passage to Christians.  Jesus’ last words to his disciples. Something that jumps out at me from John 13 is Peter's reaction when Jesus tells him He is going to wash the disciples feet.  Peter didn't want any part of that.  He didn't want Jesus to wash his feet, didn’t want Jesus to serve him.  Peter wanted to do things for Jesus.  Peter wanted to prove his worth.

Peter's reaction was pretty normal.  Although we love to have people do little things for us, we really like to operate out of a position of power.  We like to be in charge.  We’re the ones who do things for other people.  We like to be in control and we don't like to be humbled by the thought that someone else has to help us.  That's the problem with Christianity, with faith in Jesus.  We have to admit that we can't help ourselves but need God's help in life and in death.  We have to agree with the Bible that the only way to God is to ask Jesus to forgive us and we have to ask Him to enter our life and be our master.  We have to allow Jesus to “wash us clean” from our sins, the things we do which are not what God would want us to do.  Most people would much rather prove to God how good they are, show Him by the good things they do why they should be let into heaven.  God says it doesn’t work that way.  None of us can meet his criteria of holiness and purity.  Like Peter at the Last Supper with Jesus, we have to allow Jesus to wash us.  When we humble ourselves and accept Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for us, then we become holy and pure.  The road to heaven is one of admitting failure, not one of showing strength.  It isn’t a popular road.

It Has To Be New

Sandra and I were at a lake, loading our ten foot cartop aluminum boat into our Dodge minivan.  It is incredible, but if we take the back seats out of the van, the boat slides into the back and fits like a glove.  Yes, it sticks out the back about three feet, but that's legal as long as we put a red flag on the end of the boat which hangs out.  We load the boat motor, gas and anything else we have into the boat which is inside our van and tie down the rear door.  It works wonderfully.

A fellow watched us load the boat and said, "Those Dodge minivans are incredible, aren't they.  There's nothing like them."  We of course replied that we agreed.  He asked what year our van was and we told him that it was a 2001 model but ran perfectly.  He replied, "Yes, but the new ones have an incredible ride and really are fantastic.  Come to the Chrysler dealership and I'll show them to you."  He was trying to sell us a van, right there at the lake. 

We don't need a new van, but the man's words started me thinking that maybe we should replace it.  I saw the glossy advertisements in magazines and the paper.  Maybe we should get a new vehicle.  I went to the internet and looked at the new vehicles, their prices, their new features.  I figured out how we might be able to afford it.  I got myself excited about a new vehicle.  Then I came to my senses and realized that our 2001 minivan is perfect for us.

Advertising tries to make us believe we need something new.  We need something that is better and shinier and which has better features.  It leads us to want, to want more.  It leads us to materialism.  The not-so-subtle message of advertising is that we are not complete if our possessions are not the newest models.  Well, I'm not buying it.  I'm not buying the new vehicle and I'm not buying the advertising.  My old stuff works perfectly well.  It looks good and it isn't costing me anything.  I am going to ignore all that psychological warfare aimed at me by the advertising companies and not allow them to rule my life.  I am content.  And I have one thing they can't ever sell me.  I have peace and joy because Jesus is my Saviour.

Fun in the Sun, or Rain

We love to get out of the city on weekends.  We like to be outdoors.  We like to hike and walk and just be with friends.  But what happens when it rains?  In the winter we go skiing and often it is snowing heavily or blowing?  Do you just go home?  If you are in a city you can always go to a mall, but what do you do when your are so far away from the city that there are no malls?  You can read, you can talk with friends, and if the rain isn't absolutely pouring down you can go for a walk in a forest where the trees will give shelter from light rain (if you've not hiked so high you're above the forest!).  We always want things to be convenient, just right for me, but not everything in life is convenient. Sandra and I go out on weekends no matter what the weather.  You would not believe the looks you get when you tell people about the weekend when you barbequed outdoors in a hurricane.  Or about going for a hike with the snow falling as you walked through the white draped forest.  We've learned to enjoy almost anything that we encounter outdoors. 

Life isn't always the way we want it to be but we can live in joy no matter what we encounter.  When things get tough, when they don’t go as I want them to go or as I have planned, that’s when I am so glad that it is Jesus who brings joy to my life.  Always.

Summer Time

Summer in Canada is a time of vacations and getting away from the city.  Sandra and I love to get away every weekend, and whenever possible, we like to get away for a nice long summer vacation.  The places we go are generally remote, no telephone, no cell reception, no internet.  Nothing.  Totally unplugged.  We love it.

Some of our friends can’t understand how we can go away for a couple of days or a couple of weeks and be out of contact with people.  “How can you get by with out Facebook for two weeks?”  “How can you be out of range of texting or cell phones?”  It’s easy, we just are out of touch.  I love it.  No one can bother me, no one can find me.  I can totally relax, just the way it used to be just twenty years ago.  Yes, just twenty years ago!  That’s how quickly electronic technology has changed our lives.  No, changed isn’t a good enough word.  Technology has transformed our lives.  We expect to be able to instantly connect with anyone at any time.  We want, what we want, when we want it.  People seem to want everything “Right Now!” Well, there are lots of days, every week, when no one can connect with me.  And I love it.  I am happy to drop out of the instant access society for a while.

There is only one instantaneous, always there, always available connection I need.  Jesus is always only a prayer away.  If I have Jesus I am completely satisfied.  He doesn’t have to text or phone or skype of tweet me.  He is just there, always ready to talk, to laugh, to smile, to help.  I’ll use technology when it suits me, I’ll let Jesus use me when it suits Him.