Hands Off

 In John 21:18-22, the risen Christ, having lovingly confronted Peter over his failing and betraying Him, begins to speak to him of his future, saying, "I tell you the truth, when you were younger, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go' Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, "Follow Me!"

I find myself standing in Peter's place today. Maybe you do as well. If not, you will. All who profess to fully follow Him will be. There is a shaking going on and comfort zones are being breached. Indeed, they are being shattered. What we have known, externally at least, is passing away. Much of it has already passed away. We now must come to grips with just how "real" He is in our lives. To see if we really do know the "unchangeable One?" He is leading us to places our comfort loving flesh does not want to go. We are being confronted with the question pastor and author Erwin McManus asks: "Have the benefits of faith become more valuable and precious to us than the Benefactor of our faith?" Have they? My quick answer is "no," but at the same time, I have become very attached to the benefits. I want to stay by the still waters and green pastures of Psalm 23. He calls me to stand up, take up my cross, and follow Him. He's always called me to that, and you as well, but our comforts and benefits have dulled His voice. 

When I first began to follow Him, it was much easier to go wherever He led. It was only me and I had few possessions to weigh me down. Though personal risk and danger were present, it didn't really seem that I had that much to lose, at least materially. All these years later, the situation has changed.  Risks and dangers have greatly increased and there is so much more to lose. Everything has changed except this; Jesus is still the One calling me to follow. As McManus says, "Jesus wants to take us places only dead men and women can go." Those who have died to grip that comfort and outward security have held them in. So the question is this: "Can I take not only myself, but the people and blessings He has given me, following Him to the cross, placing all of them there? Dying to them there, and dying there to myself and all desires that seek to dull my desire for Him? Going with Him to those places that only those who have died can go? My flesh will resist. So will yours. But it's where He is leading. Leading us, and leading His church.

Does this mean we will lose all that we have? The only thing I know for sure is that we will lose the controlling fear that we've had over their loss. Yes, He calls us to put ourselves and even our families at risk, but as evangelist James Robison asks, "What better thing can we do than to take our hands off, and for what we release to be placed in His hands?" Only hands and lives that have died can do that. It is now beyond asking if we can. It is knowing that we must.

Blessings,
Pastor O