Put the Erector Set Down

I was sitting there today in church, and our pastor hit me with something I never really put a great deal of thought into until recently. As he was going through his teaching on Luke 8:26-39, he started to unpack the whole story and the impact people can have on others. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had a self-realization about me and how I try to talk with people about Christ.

Actually, it was a self-realization about something that has cluttered my head for a long time. Lately (that's a relative term, it's more like the past few years) I have had numerous people tell me that I try and analyze things way too much. You know, always trying to find the why or figure things out and it gets in the way of me doing. Most times I think too much instead of doing. It's been the death of so many ideas and plans I have had. I think things through to perfection and then stop achieving because I don't want to screw up the Rembrant in my head. And then it's rinse, lather, repeat like my shampoo bottle.........

So here was my 2x4 moment. The demon possessed man begged to follow Jesus after he had been saved, but Jesus ordered him to go home and tell everyone about what God had done. And then our lead pastor laid it out: this man had no training, no Bible (well, that would have been a little difficult but you get my drift), no concordance, no commentary, no (fill in the blank). He had nothing but this experience with his awesome Savior!

When I think about that, I just slump my head in shame. Then I lift it again and ask for the help of Christ in getting out of the way and letting Him do His work. Instead of focusing on MY power to meet objections against following Christ, instead of focusing on MY ability to coerce others about the good things of following Christ, instead of focusing on MY talents being used for His purposes, I must now turn aside and let Christ use HIS power. It's a power we will NEVER understand. I've tried it. It's a fruitless effort...............

And one more thing, this is for you Jeff B, we need to stop trying to figure out how or why He works, and just be satisfied that He does in so many awesome ways. Otherwise, Christ gets put back in that little box we only pull out on Sundays and holidays, and when we THINK we are talking with someone about His saving grace.

Putting my inner engineer out to pasture,
Freak