Over the years I have had any number of people tell me to be careful, beg me to be careful, warn me to be careful and ask me to be careful. All before these people who cared for me took the ultimate step and prayed to God that I would be careful. In spite of all of this, there weren’t time then when I was careful. Sometimes I would be rewarded with positive consequences (I didn’t get hurt, in trouble, etc…) and sometimes with negative consequences (hurt, injured, life threatening accidents, etc…). Still there are times when I am careful and times when I throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Sometimes I even know what "it" is! I’ve kidded about wearing out and putting into retirement whole squads of angels. Somehow, God knew the kind of person I would be and was there for the negative and the positive.
Wisdom would dictate that I would learn from my many misadventures and adventures alike. Eventually I usually do. Sometimes I learn the lesson just before the disaster. There is a reason why those around me are seeing gray hairs appear. I come from a family of 7 children. Of all the 7, I think I probably take the prize for either most injured or most likely to be injured. Of course there were times when not only did I surprise myself but everyone else by not taking the chance and avoiding the injury. You see, I too can learn! What do you think? Is there more wisdom in avoidance or taking a chance?
I guess the outcome determines whether the chance of actions is from wisdom or not. This has been tried and true from the beginning of time. Well, almost the beginning! When harrowing events were unfolding in my life there was little peace for those who cared about me. I still took the chances often and still do. I would like to think I’m a bit wiser from the many years of checking out whether something was wise or foolish. In either case the outcome determines whether the activity was able to produce something positive or negative. Sometimes choices made many years ago came to fruition more recently. This could include having prayed for someone’s salvation years ago and they finally (in God’s time) surrender to Jesus. An old injury can act up later in life and we heal so much more slowly as we get older. Not that I am old or anything…
What do we do about those times when being careful doesn’t apply? What! Yes, what about those times? We all know that we risk will life and limb in order to rescue someone from great physical harm. People have lost their own life saving someone else. Wait, that’s what Jesus did for us! My role model for not being careful! Not quite though as Jesus always knows the outcome of his actions. Jesus came to earth to NOT be careful but to be successful in providing a way for those perishing to be saved. His radical path the last three years of his life were increasingly intensifying as he moved closer and closer to the cross. When the time came, he went "as a lamb to the slaughter" the Bible tells us. He was reckless in a wise way for you and me! Then he left this message for you and me. He said throw caution to the wind and bring the Gospel to all the people of the earth. Go to the highways and byways and compel people to hear the Gospel.
If my risk level is a 10 (1-10 scale) then Paul was off the chart! How about Steven who spoke the Gospel to anyone who would listen and even as he was being stoned to death? The Bible is full of those whose courage was fueled by confidence in the Lord. Taking a risk for God when he speaks is the right thing to do. The problem is Christians all over the world have every excuse in the world to not take a risk and bring the Gospel to others. I’ve had that problem from time to time as well. That doesn’t stop me from returning to where God wants me to be and risking yet again in order to bring Jesus to a hurting people. My friends and family are continually surprised by what happens in my life. There is this one thing I do that some are uncomfortable with. I’ll talk with anyone the Lord tells me to wherever I am. Checkout line, sitting on a park bench, shopping for anything, and just about anywhere else. When these moments happen a surprising even unfolds. For whatever reason, people love to talk to me about themselves and their problems. I’ve heard mini life histories waiting to pay for donuts! It’s not that I intend for this to happen…it just happens.
My life has been punctuated with pockets of Godly wisdom that hopefully have made a difference in the lives of those who I’ve crossed paths with. God gives us words of wisdom where we have none. God provided prophets throughout the past so that His word could be heard by those who were listening. These words of wisdom were sometimes warning and also had time after time brought bad news. All of what God says and does is intended to accomplish one task. That task is to reap a harvest of righteousness in believers and non-believers. For the believer this harvest is the surrender of our lives on an ongoing basis. For the non-believer the harvest is the securing their soul in Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that the fields are ripe for the harvest. He’s telling us to NOT be careful and hold back the Gospel. He’s telling us to throw caution to the wind, believe what the Bible says, and to go forth to all men and preach the Gospel so that they might be saved from an eternity in hell. There is an urgency in His voice and a fervor to save mankind from their fallen state.
But what about us? Will there be acclamation or condemnation when we enter into the presence of the Lord? Will we hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant?" Or will we hear, "Why didn’t you obey my commandment?" Which one would you like to hear? If you are a cautious person who fears offending others and are unable to proclaim the Gospel of the saving grace of Jesus; what will you hear? Jesus has told us to put our hands to the plow and never look back. Why? Having grown up on a farm I know the answer to this one. Too bad it wasn’t on a test when I was in school! The image of North Dakota is that it’s flatter than a pizza pan. It’s not that flat. There are rolling hills and if you drive through North Dakota awake you’ll see the hills. When we planted our crops in the spring we used a tractor followed by a plow which had the drill attached. The fields were very long and wide. We would set the tractor in the middle of the field and drop the plow into the soil and trip the drill so that seeds could drop and be planted. Then you look as far away as necessary and find a landmark that is straight from where you are. That landmark could be as close as the end of the field or a couple of miles away. As you put in the clutch you took the wheel by both hands, locked your eyes on the landmark and did not look back until you reached the end of the field. When you exited the field and looked back all you could see was a wide black line perfectly straight.
Now I didn’t learn that lesson the first time or the second time that I plowed and seeded a field. Those first times when I would be going down the field my attention was sometimes diverted to the left or the right. Sometimes just to check the machinery to make sure it was doing okay. When I would pull out of the end of the field I’d look back, and much to my horror, would see this line that zigged and zagged right where I had taken my eyes off the goal. This wasn’t the end of the world but it came pretty close. It’s that way in life as well. Every time I have failed to present the Gospel, I was right smack in the middle of sin. Look again at the title to the book. It is always my choice whether I chose to serve the Lord or to sin against Him. Those zigs and zags represented lost opportunity to bring people to Jesus. In a lot of cases (I’m not proud of this) my actions actually moved people further away from Jesus. Not a lot of wisdom in that if you ask me. So, why did I look back? Why or what enticed me to choose other than Jesus? I don’t think there was any one reason but a series of rationalizations and justifications that worked me until I chose to sin. Like the prodigal son, when I came to my senses I would return to doing what God had wanted me to do submitting myself to Him who saves my soul. To all those I have sinned against, I am sorry. Please don’t use my behavior as representative of who Christians are and what they are to think, say and do.
There were a lot of elements that determined the harvest on the farm. The soil type, rain or no rain, weeds, rocks, more weeds, hail, wind, and bugs. There are probably more but these will do. So, the ground took preparation before it was planted, care while the crop grew and understanding the right moment for the harvest. Within the community called the family on the farm we picked rocks forever! Where did all these rocks come from? The crops were planted and at the proper time sprayed for either weeds or bugs or both. The crop was waited upon and the community became anxious to see what the harvest would yield. When the grain was brought in the harvest was not over. The grain would either be stored until the price was right or would be trucked to town or sold right away. The straw and chaff would be harvested for the animals during the winter. When all of this was accomplished the harvest was done for that year. Preparation of the field for the following year was to do nothing through the winter. Sometimes the field would not be planted the following year so that it could lay "fallow" so that it could once again bear crops after its rest.
You see, being careful means more than don’t run out in traffic! Being careful requires the wisdom of planting the seed, watering that planting and harvesting the soul. Each stage of the process may fall on different servants of God. There is never a time when it’s okay for anyone who professes faith in Jesus to not be part of the process. Our lives are the only Bible some people will read. The fields are ready and the workers are few. We need to be about the Fathers business and be farmers.
I can remember out in the field planting and hoping to finish a field before a rain storm would strike. There was an intensity with which the crops were put in the ground in time for them to germinate and grow and become harvest material. The emotional feelings of going out to tend to the fields after a hail storm was intense. Crops would be lost. Nothing anyone could do. Plan to do it over again the next year. The process is no different with the process of someone responding to the Gospel. Some Christians have chosen to keep their seed to themselves and there is not a planting or harvesting. Other Christians provide the seed by giving money to the church but follow up with the knowledge that, "It’s not my job." Still some will begin to do the planting but will not seize the precious moments when the seed is deeply planted. And so the excuses go. They were mine from time to time as well. Many times Satan would tell me that I was disqualified for the job because I was sinning. There were and are many excuses mankind uses to not fulfill their work for God. We have only one job to do for God. The Bible tells us to bring glory to God. How can that happen if we are not about His mission? How can that happen if we aren’t planting the seeds, tending the fields and harvest the souls who are ready to come to Jesus?
Wisdom produces so that those who sow peace, will reap a harvest of righteousness. Not in the way you might think. Let me ask you this question. Do you recognize the wisdom of God at work in your life? Can you tell if the wisdom of God is being transferred to others around you? If people giving their lives to Jesus was a capital crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you and me? Wow, that’s a heavy question. So, what is your answer? Are you going to prison for life? After the rapture your life may depend upon it. Read the book of Revelation and see what’s in store for those who miss the rapture but thought they would go. Quite revealing and intense. Just how careful do we want to be?
With all that is going on in the world, the assault on Christians and their beliefs, and the trend of being politically correct it would seem that the message isn’t what God intended. The Gospel is radical, confrontational, and intolerant and makes no excuses for itself. We need to do the same. There is only one way to heaven and that is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. There is no compromise on his command to go forth and make disciples of all the world. There is no excuse good enough for any of us to see our neighbor spend eternity in hell because we were afraid that we might offend them. We need to be careful when we use power tools, drive the car or ski down a mountain. We need to be careful when we drive on the highway, do our job as window washers on a high rise building, and any other job where the risks are high. Why can’t we see how high the stakes are for our family, friends and neighbors? For their salvation I would invite you to not be careful. I would urge you to speak your truth plainly and clearly. Take time to listen as well as talk as this is a two sided conversation. Be careful to not behave like the world behaves. Say Merry Christmas because it’s about Jesus. Don’t let a moment or day go by that you cannot contain the hope that is within you. Pray and pray and pray for all those around you. God is in the business of miracles. Let Him give his grace to others through you.
In a perfect world all of this talk wouldn’t be needed. However, like Christ stood in place of us and took our punishment upon him so that we could be free; we must stand for Christ now. It’s not that hard once you get started. Like most things in life we can start with something little. How about saying hi to your neighbor, friend or co-worker? Nothing more and nothing less. After you have a return greeting for a while, move up the ante. Wish them a good day. Take the same path and don’t vary. As people we want to rely on things that are consistent. Be consistent. When they ask you, and they will, tell them that you are doing as well as you can. Don’t ever lie to people. When you do so you wipe away all creditability you may have worked long and hard to establish. People know that Christians have difficult, hard and even impossible days themselves. So be real! You know that the day is coming when you might take a break or lunch together. Wait. Get to know them and when you get the Holy Spirit nudge take talking to the next level. By now others will have watched and perhaps they too are at a level when they want to ask you questions. Let them ask questions. This is for real and thus it should be kept real.
When we bring people to the place where they are free to share their feelings we have a high responsibility to be honest and forth coming. You have nothing to be ashamed of nor have anything you should be prideful of. You have something other people want and need. You have Jesus. Remember that all you have been doing was planting seeds. When they begin to ask you questions they are desperately needing water. Give them some water. God has his plan and timing he is working out through you. Relax, pray, and just do what Jesus would do. Maybe tell a joke while you were at it. Never stop believing in the power of God. There is an invisible spiritual war being fought for and against you. Satan’s demons are battling the host of heaven. We have the advantage of knowing who wins! Live like Jesus has won the fight. He has already won the war.
As you have been moving toward a relationship with that person in your life God has blessed you with; you too are being blessed. As you see the love of God being poured out, you will be changed. You won’t be able to help it. Give the glory and praise to God and keep moving forward. There is no vacation, weekend or day off for the Christian. Believe that the victory is the Lords. In the end you will have accomplished the will of the Lord even if you are not the one with whom they pray to receive Christ. Take heart and don’t worry about stats. The stats others have mean nothing. What means something is when we live 100% of our life for Jesus to others.
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