Tuesday evenings are always a highlight of my week. I lead a small group within my church and we all meet at the farm. Its really cool to see us individually being challenged and being able to walk with each person through it. Community is a great thing. This past Sunday service was about a passage from Luke where Jesus feeds the 5,000. Its Luke 9:10-17. At this point I’d say go to a podcast and listen to this. Jonathan, my pastor is pretty good at conveing things to the crowd and he is often hilarious at it! This one was no exception.
Within the sermon Jonathan laid out 6 points: 1. The interruptions are the ministry. 2. YOU give them something to eat.( in context of vs. 12-13) 3. Supernatural acts of God are preceded by mundane acts of human obedience. (miracles happen!) 4. If you want to see Jesus…give Him something to work with. (big or small whatever you have; this huge God we serve can for sure use it!) 5. Recognize what has been put in your hands as a gift. 6. God wants you to move from a theology of scarcity to a theology of abundance.
In all this we’ve been talking about our callings. Today in thinking about these things above and life and what im going to be stepping into i realize how great the calling on our life as a disciple is. Two questions that keep me thinking further about this: What are you still holding on to? What are you reluctant to hand over? God is very particular in His dealings with us. What we see as issues or things we need to get over, He later may choose to use as a gift to bless someone. What we see as less is actually way more. I think we as humans spend way too much time thinking of what we are suppose to do with our lives…whats my calling?? Minor detail….??!! I think the ‘calling’ comes in finding ourselves. Finding our strengths and weaknesses. In stepping out in faith; trusting and yeilding to Christ. I think its realizing that we aren’t just people walking around but we are important and have great plans in store for us. The choices we make everyday effect those around us. What we choose to keep to ourselves are meant for others as well. Life is too be shared not tucked away in the far depths of our hearts. I know that is a scary thought. I mean just typing it is hard. But how would things here and now be differant if we chose to live as such. I know easier said than done. True. At some point we learn to trust though. But all this to say Im believing more and more that i have things to offer…to you and to the world. Im not some passer-by in this life who just operates to operate. Theres a purpose and reason for it. In Jesus, the nothing is made into something. So Im not real sure yet what my fishes are but i am sure of this: “What can i Bring? There is more at stake here than just you (me) arriving or finding fullfillment. Its more than just about you (me). Stakes are higher…IT MATTERS TO THE WORLD…YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
So what are your fishes? What is it that God is asking you to hand over, to fully trust him with your everything? somehow he takes it and blesses…
“And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And ALL ate and were FILLED. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.”
