Today I had a great conversation with my dad. We spent a little while at an Austin coffee shop talking about our hopes and dreams and what things we'd like to see happen in the future. We spoke about the state of the Church, how it is affecting and relating to the culture, and what really it means to follow Jesus. All this in an hour or so, pretty impressive huh?
He related a story about a recent trip he took down to Mexico where he and a few other served a local church there by helping them renovate and restore their building. It was run down and in need of a large dose of tlc. My dad was struck by the genuine faith of the people there, how they relied so much and how they trusted so deeply in God for daily provision. We spoke about how it sometimes feels that we can pretty much live most of our life and not need to trust in God for provision. We have good jobs, we can have most anything we want, we don't worry about where our next meal will come from. It presents such a radical choice to Christ --- why do we need Jesus if we can provide everything for ourselves? Unfortunately the church has not done a very good job of showing why. Perhaps we've forgotten, perhaps I've forgotten, what He means to us, maybe we, I, never really knew in the first place. Mostly we come to God with a personal or other crisis, but between those times it's business as usual.
These words of Christ came to mind as I was reflecting on our conversation:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24
The wisdome found in these words is amazing. Our culture has sold us so subtly on this it's not even funny; in fact it's rather scary. I can see in myself how often I rely on my own abilities to provide and take care of myself, my wife, and my son. I don't think about it as serving money, I think about it as providing for my family. Now, I am not saying we shouldn't work hard, I'm just saying do we ever do anything by faith anymore? Do we ever step out in a direction in which the only way that things will work out is if God provides, or do we hang close to shore, keeping our arms and legs inside the ride at all times? Do we demonstrate our faith in God by giving sacrificially, trusting that he knows what we need and will provide or do we continually store up for a rainy day? Or reaching out to someone in need, trusting that even though we don't have all the answers we know the One who does? (By the way, if you don't like the questions I'm asking, stay out of Matthew 6).
I'm convinced, at least for myself, that this lack of trust keeps me inside the boat most of the time I'm with Jesus. Unfortunately that's not where the action is. To borrow a line from a favorite author of mine, if you're going to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat.
Lord, increase my faith, increase my trust, give me the courage to follow you out onto the water.
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