This is an excerpt from this book. I have previously posted about Katie's blog, which I highly encourage everyone to read, but this portion of her book really struck me.
Katie writes:
"I remembered a story I once read:
'Once there was a people who surveyed the resources of the world and said to each other: "How can we be sure that we will have enough in hard times? We want to survive whatever happens. Let us start collecting food, materials, and knowledge so that we are safe and secure when a crisis occurs." So they started hoarding, so much and so eagerly that the other peoples protested and said: "You have so much more than you need, while we don't have enough to survive. Give us part of your wealth!" But the fearful hoarders said: "No, no, we need to keep this in case of an emergency, in case things go bad for us too, in case our lives are threatened." But the others said: "We are dying now, please give us food and materials and knowledge to survive. We can't wait...we need it now!" Then the fearful hoarders became even more fearful, since they became afraid that the poor and hungry would attack them. So they said to one another: "Let us build walls around our wealth so that no stranger can take it from us." They started erecting walls so high that they could not even see anymore whether their enemies were outside the walls or not! As their fear increased they told each other: "Our enemies have become so numerous that they may be able to tear down our walls. Our walls are not strong enough to keep them away. We need to put bombs at the top of the walls so that nobody will dare to even come close to us." But instead of feeling safe and secure behind their armed walls they found themselves trapped in the prison they had built with their own fear. They even became afraid of their own bombs, wondering if they might harm themselves more than their enemy. And gradually they realized their fear of death had brought them closer to it.'"
Can you see yourself? I feel as though it was directed right at me. How often I take care of me and mine, forgetting that I have been commanded to do so much more. Then she continued on to write these words that knocked me flat:
"Fear. It's part of human nature, but it's not something we got from God. Second Timothy 1:7 says: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." When I imagine God creating each one of us and planting a purpose deep in our hearts, I never imagine that purpose being mediocrity. While the Bible doesn't tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life's calling will be, it does include a lot of general direction:
'You are to find me in the least of these.' Yes.
'You are to leave your earthly possessions and come follow me.' Yes.
'You are to love and serve the Lord God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.' Yes.
'You are to go and make disciples of all nations.' Yes.
'You are to entertain strangers and lepers and tax collectors.' Yes.
'You are to live a life of mediocrity and abundance, holding on tight to your comfortable lifestyle, lest you lose it.' No"
So I ask you...where does that leave you? Are you walking in fear hoping to scrape by and at the end say I've done okay? Or are you fearlessly careening through life, living without bounds knowing that God takes care of all your needs and then some? I can't say I always do the latter but it is what I strive for. Join me in serving the least of these, in loving those who the world has turned on and seem unlovable. Join me in living an abundant life in Jesus. I can honestly say in the moments when I hand a cup of water to the thirsty in the name of Jesus and in the moments when I sacrifice to the point of hurting I feel more like my Savior than ever before. And thats where I want to be, thats where I want to dwell. I want to rest and serve and live in the work and will of the Most High.
No comments:
Post a Comment