Genesis 6:9-14
Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his time,
and he walked with God.
When I consider commitment, I often think of Noah and the God-ordered Ark.
Of how challenging and comforting it is to read of a man so committed to God he could ignore the ridicule of his neighbors and keep on keeping on for a total of 120 years.
Without paralyzing pride to slow him down, nothing was too small for him to do. He readily cut the timbers, patiently crafted the planks, with honest fortitude chiseled the wood and bored the holes, until finally one day he had constructed a massive monument to the will of his Heavenly Father.
If he had given this 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high ship a name, it would have had to be Commitment.
Now when it comes to a heavenly command to commitment it is highly doubtful you will ever be asked to build an ark or anything near that size as a giant monument.
However, you have already been commanded to make your life a monument. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
I’m sure you all have your own mental description of what commitment is, but have you ever considered that actually it is a battlefield?
A place where your best self constantly battles your worst self? Were I to ask you which self do you want to win, your answer would be immediate and sincere. You would reply, “I want that self that does not just talk victory to win.
I do not want to be a victim of my own weak and willy-nilly follow through in things I have committed myself to do. I have said, ‘Lord, here am I take me.’ That is what I want to do. That is who I want to be.”
Remember Nicodemus?
Most anyone who has read the Bible knows he was a Pharisee, a leader among the Jews. An insider who proudly boasted to Jesus, “I know who you are. You are a teacher from the hills of Galilee. We know you come from God.”
He spoke with pride. A theologian who had the right answer. But, bright and shining student that he was, he still he had come by night to have a secret conversation with the Nazarene.
What happened next was a natural outgrown of the piercing way Jesus had in getting to the heart of a matter. Jesus looked at him, saw his fear that others might find out how he felt about Him, saw his reluctance to commit to the truth and said in so many words, “Talk is cheap but birth is final. Nicodemus, you must be born again.”
Suddenly, it was no longer a conference to gain knowledge, but a call to commitment.
Now it was not just a visit in the night, but a call to make it a pilgrimage. And Nicodemus wasn’t illuminated. He was confused and for a short while he was plain scared.
“How can anyone be born again after growing old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb?” he asked.
“Nicodemus,” the Bible does not have Jesus call him by name but I like to think that at such a personal time of the soul searching, He did. Simply, softly with a warm, kind, teaching voice, “Nicodemus, God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not (be lost) but may have eternal life.”
blameless among the people of his time,
and he walked with God.
When I consider commitment, I often think of Noah and the God-ordered Ark.
Of how challenging and comforting it is to read of a man so committed to God he could ignore the ridicule of his neighbors and keep on keeping on for a total of 120 years.
Without paralyzing pride to slow him down, nothing was too small for him to do. He readily cut the timbers, patiently crafted the planks, with honest fortitude chiseled the wood and bored the holes, until finally one day he had constructed a massive monument to the will of his Heavenly Father.
If he had given this 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high ship a name, it would have had to be Commitment.
Now when it comes to a heavenly command to commitment it is highly doubtful you will ever be asked to build an ark or anything near that size as a giant monument.
However, you have already been commanded to make your life a monument. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
I’m sure you all have your own mental description of what commitment is, but have you ever considered that actually it is a battlefield?
A place where your best self constantly battles your worst self? Were I to ask you which self do you want to win, your answer would be immediate and sincere. You would reply, “I want that self that does not just talk victory to win.
I do not want to be a victim of my own weak and willy-nilly follow through in things I have committed myself to do. I have said, ‘Lord, here am I take me.’ That is what I want to do. That is who I want to be.”
Remember Nicodemus?
Most anyone who has read the Bible knows he was a Pharisee, a leader among the Jews. An insider who proudly boasted to Jesus, “I know who you are. You are a teacher from the hills of Galilee. We know you come from God.”
He spoke with pride. A theologian who had the right answer. But, bright and shining student that he was, he still he had come by night to have a secret conversation with the Nazarene.
What happened next was a natural outgrown of the piercing way Jesus had in getting to the heart of a matter. Jesus looked at him, saw his fear that others might find out how he felt about Him, saw his reluctance to commit to the truth and said in so many words, “Talk is cheap but birth is final. Nicodemus, you must be born again.”
Suddenly, it was no longer a conference to gain knowledge, but a call to commitment.
Now it was not just a visit in the night, but a call to make it a pilgrimage. And Nicodemus wasn’t illuminated. He was confused and for a short while he was plain scared.
“How can anyone be born again after growing old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb?” he asked.
“Nicodemus,” the Bible does not have Jesus call him by name but I like to think that at such a personal time of the soul searching, He did. Simply, softly with a warm, kind, teaching voice, “Nicodemus, God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not (be lost) but may have eternal life.”
And in this very
personal time, as we talk about our souls, remember He says again,
“Nicodemus, Neil, John, Grace, Florence, whatever your name is…God so
loved you and me that He included us in that promise. He really did.
What was the response of Nicodemus? Well, it is worth noting that one time in the Temple when the crowds were shouting for Jesus’ scalp, one man would stand up to defend Him. And the name of that man? Nicodemus.
Born again, energized, motivated. The widow who gave all her money; the Syrophoenician woman who gave all her pride; the Samaritan who gave all his gratitude; the Roman Centurion who gave all his will; John the Baptist who gave all his body and his zeal; Simon Peter who gave all his mind; Mary of Bethany who gave all her heart.” (paraphrase of comments made by Glenn Clark in his book, “A Man’s Reach”) The magic word is all.
Not part time but full employment of the soul. A life not falling away from its best by blaming heredity, or environment, or people, or places or things. Rather a life reaching up and saying “Being born again is one whale of a step but if I am going to consider it I certainly ought to go all the way.”
Robert Browning put it well, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.”
What was the response of Nicodemus? Well, it is worth noting that one time in the Temple when the crowds were shouting for Jesus’ scalp, one man would stand up to defend Him. And the name of that man? Nicodemus.
Born again, energized, motivated. The widow who gave all her money; the Syrophoenician woman who gave all her pride; the Samaritan who gave all his gratitude; the Roman Centurion who gave all his will; John the Baptist who gave all his body and his zeal; Simon Peter who gave all his mind; Mary of Bethany who gave all her heart.” (paraphrase of comments made by Glenn Clark in his book, “A Man’s Reach”) The magic word is all.
Not part time but full employment of the soul. A life not falling away from its best by blaming heredity, or environment, or people, or places or things. Rather a life reaching up and saying “Being born again is one whale of a step but if I am going to consider it I certainly ought to go all the way.”
Robert Browning put it well, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.”
This is a continuation of a series of Lenten thoughts appropriate to the remembering our Christ with all the awe He truly deserves.. Please consider sharing these Lenten thoughts with a host of your friends.
These thoughts are added to each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
(Use in your personal or church newsletters)
To view my other blog “One A Day, Your Spiritual Vitamins”
These thoughts are added to each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
(Use in your personal or church newsletters)
To view my other blog “One A Day, Your Spiritual Vitamins”
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
No comments:
Post a Comment