July 14 & 15, 2001
Psalm 26:3
I Remembered It in Michigan
Vacations are sometimes wonderful and sometimes disasters. I once listened for nearly two hours while driving to a call in talk show that had caller after caller telling vacation horror stories. I heard about people stranded over seas, people stranded in airports. There were stories of horrible rooms, thefts from rooms, hidden cameras and food poisoning in favorite vacation destinations. I have my own vacation horror stories, the night we were held over in Honolulu and our luggage was in Maui. We had not bathed, brushed our teeth etc. in nearly two days. We learned to pack a change of clothes and toiletries in carry on baggage. Or the return from our one cruise, there were bags left on the curb at the wrong airline terminal, near crash landing in Dayton and 1/2 inch of ice on our car, light jacket and pneumonia 3 days later.
I thought that last weeks vacation was the beginning of another horror story. I was in a bicycle wreck on the second morning. I got my first skinned knee in about 30 years. My knee swelled like a cantaloupe, it hurt real bad, the best I felt was when I would lay on the couch or in bed. It hurt to walk, sleep, shower, sit or roll over. My week of vacation had just taken an off ramp at 70 mph from the interstate of vacation activity to the back roads Amish buggy at clip-clop speed.
While I initially thought that I had arrived in Vacation Hades what I soon found out was that I had stumbled on, or rather I had tumbled into peace from the whirlwind. I believe that what I had expected for my week was a pretty common experience. How many of us have not heard the expression, “I gotta go back to work so I can get some rest”? We live what we think are lives of importance. Our day planners and palm pilots so jam packed. We have difficulty lifting our lives from the planner. We are constantly circling in a palm pilot holding pattern and we can’t even find peace or rest, even when we search for it. We become so at home in a whirlwind of activity that we plan and pilot our way even on vacation or days off into a busyness that chokes the understanding from a peace that passes all understanding that God wants to give and for which we so desperately yearn.
But, I remembered something in Michigan. I remembered it laying alone on a couch with my knee in the air and my plans in the dumps. The world thinks it knows how to find peace in the whirlwind. Yoga instructors insist the answer is meditation and “out of body” experiences. Magazines offer “Ten Ways to Beat Busyness.” Corporate trainers promote “proven techniques for stress free living.” Travel agents claim peace is available in Hawaii or a dozen other tropical destinations… for only $3,000!
But God says that peace is not found in a program or a place but in a Person, Jesus. Jesus said, “My peace I give you, I do not give you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) The peace that the world offers is short lived and shallow. It always has a price that is expensive and comes due even before the VISA or MasterCard bill does. The peace of Christ is immeasurable and eternal. It is free and the bill arrives with a credit, paid by The Master. We are told in Philippians 4: 7 that his peace “transcends human understanding and earthly circumstance. In Christ you can be at peace when you have five major projects due at the same time. You can experience serenity in the middle of a room full of screaming children or in the middle of an interesting council meeting. What I remembered in Michigan is that I must remain glued to Jesus. Our scripture passage today, Isaiah 26:3 tells us “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” We also see that John 15:4 says, Remain in me and I will remain in you.” Simple, stay glued to Jesus and I have peace. But, in the stresses of everyday life work or play, home or vacation we often come unglued.
Several years ago when I was the pastor of Vincennes First Baptist Church a young man in the congregation would come forward nearly every Sunday and quite often would ask me to pray that Jesus would come into his heart. After several weeks of this I asked him why he felt he had to ask Jesus into his heart over and over again. His reply? Now I might need to add that this young man had a low IQ and resided in a group home near the church and high falootin theological stuff didn’t sink in very well. He Said, “Pastor Jeff the problem with me and most stuff is that things don’t stay in me very long, I guess I just leak. Like my friend Kenny Fuller, who has since gone home to be with the Lord, I sometimes leak. Sometimes in my busyness, I leak way too much and sometimes just like my car, if it leaks all the oil out the engine over heats and locks up, that sometimes happens to me too. I am sure it happens to you too.
Over several days in Michigan, hobbled by a bicycle accident that I did not plan nor foresee, I remembered a few things. If you have been leaking lately too, maybe these can fill you up as well.
Jesus gave us a clear example as to how we might remain glued to him, if we recognize how it is that Jesus remained glued to the father. I remembered seven things that Jesus did to remain connected to his Father.
The first is dependence. Jesus said in John 8:28, “I do nothing on my own.” This might come closest to a thesis statement of the life of Jesus as anything in scripture. When a hemorrhaging woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, hoping to be healed, power drained from him. If power drained from him each time he healed, why didn’t he become “empty”? Dependence on the Father allowed him to tap into a well of limitless resources. The reason we get so drained in the good things we do, the studies we pursue is quite possibly because we are doing and learning those things in our own power. Jesus invites each of us to draw from this well of power too. That we might never empty or drained. Paul said it this way in Galatians 2:20, “ I no longer live, but Christ lives within me.” Are you dependent upon his resources or your own strength. If you leak, it is your own strength.
Secondly, Obedience. In John 15:9-10 Jesus challenges us, “Remain in my love… just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and remain in his love.” In John 14:31 Jesus says, “I love the Father and… do exactly what my father has commanded me.” Most of us never make it a point to disobey God, but neither do we make it a point wholeheartedly follow the holy standard that God prescribes.
I don’t judge, I discern. You don’t forgive the way you have been forgiven, you forgive the way the transgressor deserves. We don’t lie, we exaggerate. I cannot abide if I do not obey. Lack of obedience is the solvent that dissolves the glue that holds me and Jesus together.
Thirdly, Jesus said in John 8:14, “I know where I am come from and I know where I am going.” Christ’s every action was embedded in his purpose. He did not debate over whether or not to include certain activities in his schedule. Rather, he was so deliberate in all his actions that each one pointed to “Why he came.” The term that best fits this type of deliberateness is “FOCUS.” I found a wonderful little saying several years ago that helps me, when I seek it’s help, to maintain focus. Oswald Chambers said, “We must begin with the end in mind.” Focusing on the end, simplifies the middle. “Keeping your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith,” is an end. Focus on that and a lot of things take care of themselves.
Some of you might not like the fourth remembering. Jesus didn’t try to do it all himself. As God directed him, he gave tasks and functions to the twelve apostles, then to the 72, then later to his future church. Simply delegation. Scripture from beginning to end encourages delegation. Jethro told Moses to appoint overseers to help him. Adam had his helper Eve, notice I didn’t say slave. Elijah had Elisha, on and on. When delegates are empowered by those who send them, burn-out is minimized, the body is built up and the kingdom of God is advanced.
Many of us in this performance based society have bought into what I call Energizer Bunny mentality, we keep going and going and going. This people is not biblical. In the bible there is rest, every week. There is a system of seasonal rest called holidays and feasts. There is also a period of extended rest, every seventh year was a Sabbath year in which the land and the people rested. Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath indicated that His rest superceded the rest found in the law. In the OT rest involved occasional physical rest. In the NT rest is continual and spiritual. How do I get this rest? Jesus said this in Mark 6:31, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Notice the active ingredients? Me(Jesus)…quiet place…rest. I remembered it in Michigan, on a couch, alone, bum knee; I found rest.
Sixth, Prayer. I cannot in begin to extol it’s virtues. I could never encourage you enough to simply talk to God. I have so many people that tell me over and over, I feel so much better when I talk to you. Notice they don’t say they always feel better when I talk back. What they are really saying is, “I always feel better when I have someone who listens to me.” You can talk, he will listen. We went to dinner on the last night of vacation with my in-laws. I was served before them. When they got their meal they bowed their heads and raised them after a few moments. My mother-in-law asked later why I had not prayed before I ate, I replied that I had. In fact when I went to the salad bar, I prayed for the group of motorcyclists. When I went to the restroom, I prayed for the lady in the wheelchair. When the child was slapped for being too loud 3 booths down, I prayed for the family. How do you pray? Talk, he will listen. Eyes open, shut; head bowed or not, he will listen.
The last thing I remembered in Michigan is found in Matthew 6:34. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.” Folks don’t confuse planning with worrying. They are two totally different things. Scripture warns us not to borrow tomorrows trouble. I remembered to “Live one day at a time.” Panic over my schedule almost always comes from one of two things 1.) adding too much to today or 2.) adding too many today’s to today. The children of Israel were only allowed to gather one day’s manna. Jesus taught us to pray “for our daily bread.”
If I could stay at the lake forever. If food mysteriously appeared on the shelves and split wood materialized on the wood pile over night. If someone worked to pay my taxes and utilities, I could probably be at a constant state of peace, but since none of those things are likely to happen, for now I must practice what I remembered in Michigan, Dependence, Obedience, Focus, Delegation, Rest, Prayer and Live one Day at a Time to stay glued to him. It’s that easy, it’s that hard. But… I remembered it in Michigan. I hope it stays with me in Evansville. How about You.
Let us Pray. Lord grant us the wisdom, strength and courage to remember that which we must do to stay glued to you. And by being glued to you find Peace in our whirlwinds. Thank-you for letting me remember these things in Michigan. Give me the grace to experience them in Evansville. In Jesus Name, Amen.
