Apple’s new “Family Sharing” and God
Recently, Apple released iOS 8 for their iPhones, iPods and iPads. Now, there are plenty of tech blogs out there, so there’s no reason for me to give you any of the details, but one new feature, in particular, caught my eye. They have this new idea about sharing media across different accounts, and they call it “Family Sharing.”
So, how does this work? Well, the “head of household” user can tie their account to other “child” accounts (with different apple IDs) and the “family” can all share music, videos, pictures, apps, etc. Basically, whatever media they choose. When you set it up, you even enter the relationships with each person in respect to the “head” account. One other interesting tidbit - when you agree to this system, whenever any member of the “family” purchases new media, it is charged to the credit card of the “head” account holder.
So, in essence, they’re finding ways of binding together lots of smaller, individual accounts that may be separating family media (which is good), and pushing the financial responsibility for everything up to the account that’s most likely to actually have money.
So, what does this have to do with God? It struck me that as new as this idea is for online collaboration, it’s really just a system that God instituted back at the very beginning of humanity. Yet again, what we see in the world is just a faint representation of one of God’s principals. As the head, he gives love and gifts to each of us which serve to both bind us to him and to each other, and then we charge all of it to his account. How generous!!!!!
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I realized that I had a choice between 2 different views of this: 1) I could condemn the world for “stealing” a Godly system and twisting it into money and profit (which just plays on my bitterness, unrighteaous judgement, and need for power, approval, and validation) or 2) I could praise God for being right in the first place and for giving that level or revelation to some guy down at Apple (and probably giving him credit for it and maybe even a pay raise). In essence, I can choose to see this from the light of the world, or from the good gift that God has bestowed and the way he has shown us.
My point here is not whether we need to have our media accounts linked or even when the anti-christ is coming, but that God is truly the author of all good things and I believe He would like for us to stop and take notice more often. I don’t know if this new system will succeed or fail, but either way, it is a testament to God and his original design of giving us everything we could imagine (and more) and then charging it to his endless account. He’s just such a great dad!
2 Cor 2:14 (NIV)
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere."
-Shawn
Blameless
Ephesians 1:4 -
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.
Ephesians 5:27 -
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any suchthing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Philippians 2:15 -
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
Colossians 1:22 -
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach
Jude 1:24 -
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy,
Revelation 1:5 -
5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.
Did you know that you are blameless in the eyes of God? Interestingly, this goes way back. As a matter of fact, even David knew it (and let’s not even start talking about the ways he could have been blamed…).
Psalm 18:21-24 -
23 I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.
So, HOW does this work? How is it that I can be blameless in the sight of God? I understand that Jesus died for my sins, but what does that play in?
Ezekiel 36:26-27 -
26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."
1 Corinthians 3:16 -
16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
So, God’s Spirit lives inside us. And, He sent Jesus to atone for our sins…
1 Peter 2:24 -
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Inside each of us, God has built us with both a soul and a spirit. The mortal and the immortal. When God looks at us through the eyes of Jesus, He simply sees His own spirit that lives within us. His Holy, Righteous, and Blameless self. But how does He not see our sin and blame?
Hebrews 4:12-13 -
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
As the Word made flesh, Jesus knows exactly where the soul and spirit divide. He chooses to look upon our beauty, not our lack. He is focussed on our immortal self, not what we’re going to be leaving behind.
This is all very interesting, but ultimately pointless without application. So, how do we apply it?
In simple terms - we tend to be our own worst enemies. We keep account of every hiccup, every misdeed or misthought, every sin. We blame ourselves for things that God has no record of. If we can adjust our viewpoint to see ourselves more from His perspective, perhaps we would be able to live in greater joy (and thus, strength), and less defeat.
I urge you to spend some quiet time with Jesus and ask Him to show you how HE sees you. Come bravely before the throne of grace to get His perspective on who you are and allow him to mold you even more into that perfect spirit that He put inside of you. With His help, you can become your own best advocate (second to Him, of course), and help others to do the same.
-Shawn
Translatons and Nuances
While reading Psalm 27 tonight, I came across an interesting little tie-bit that I wanted to share. The Lord pointed me to my copy of the NET bible (a wonderful study bible where the translators notes are maticulously inscribed). What was interesting about this is that I rarely use this version anymore.
Psalm 27:8 is translated as
“My heart tells me to pray to you, and I do pray to you, O LORD.”
But, as I looked at the translators' notes, something amazing caught my eye! According to the editor, the literal Hebrew would be translated as…
“concerning you, my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’”
Then, they go on to state that this doesn’t make much sense, literally, because the verb “seek” is actually the plural form and “face” doesn’t make much sense either unless David is hearing the voice of The Lord, which he’s not because we’re told his heart is talking to him. As a result of these two issues, they chose to translate the verse as you see at the top, above.
So, here’s the interesting part…
If our belief that the Holy Spirit speaks the language of emotion in and through our hearts is true, then both issues suddenly resolve quite nicely. If David is actually hearing the voice of The Lord through his heart, then The Lord’s words could be better translated as, “Seeks my face.” Although that’s terrible English, it makes an interesting point. Let’s say it this way, “concerning you, we say, 'Seek our face.'”
What’s the take-away? A couple of things -
1. The Lord speaks in and through our heart in emotion
2. David knew how to listen and The Lord was eager to teach him more
3. We need to reconcile our understanding of the Trinity and seek the faces of The Lord
4. Any translation should be scrutinized and we need to set aside all assumptions and preconceptions about who God is and how He is operating
5. He so desperately WANTS to speak to us clearly and plainly
6. He made us for intimate fellowship with Himselves and will actively pursue us as we pursue Him (and even when we don’t).
-Shawn
From milk to solid food
"I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1 Cor 3:2)
We have a few friends that have been going through a hard time recently. Lots of triggers, lots of lies, lots of emotions. It seems as if their lives have been turned upside down and a new “problem” surfaces every day. Ever been there?
In asking the Lord what to do for them, I got a surprising answer - “let me work.” As it tuens out, the “fire” in their life is grace. Let me see if I can make sense of that…
In both cases, these friends have been walking out their faith over the last couple of years and, recently, have been on a fast-track to walking with Jesus. He has been in their lives more and more, and they have been inviting him in more and more, as well.
In both cases, they have entered into a “season” of enormous growth which is also connected to enormous tribulation. I have heard him refer to birth pains, often, and these certainly seem to fit the description. What’s interesting is the level of love and grace that are involved in this process.
You see, they have both reached the point of no return. They have had a taste of him, of his total excellence, but haven’t arrived at the point of total communion. There are still things holding them back. In his devine benevolence, he KNOWS that he can’t leave them where they are.
They have come too far to stop (they would be miserable for the rest of their lives having tasted God without being full of him), but haven’t arrived at a place of stability. His loving grace is to apply enough presure to help move them from milk to solid food.
It’s also important to understand that Jesus brings the baptism of fire, and that this is not an “attack.” Note everything that happens against what we want is an attack. As a matter of fact, many “attacks” simply give us exactly what we want (when it will draw us away from the love of Christ).
When trials come, you can either run to God and seek him or run away and seek others. If you’ll choose to move forward with him (or at least clear off the reasons why you wouldn’t do that), the “trial” goes faster. Run to him and find rest in the storm!
-Shawn
Standing on Faith is really more like sitting on hope
A friend of mine posted Jeremiah 29:11 to her facebook page today. “For I know the plans I have for you…” It got me thinking about some of those verses from the bible that get thrown around a lot. Please don’t misunderstand - this is not about her post and I do believe that she understands and believes His word. The event just got me thinking…
I love the word (logos) of God and believe it is the single most important document that exists on this earth. It is the gold standard of all things related to God. It is our constant, the most complete work on His character and personality, and the ONLY resource that every person seeking Him needs to have a strong and healthy life here.
Ahaving said that, I DO NOT believe that it is a complete work. Not in the sense that there is anything missing, but from the standpoint that it is only a part of the knowledge that He intends for us. Just like the trinity itself, I beieve that He was a number of ways to bring us understanding and the bible is one of them. But, the written words on the page give us very little if it is not given life by the Holy Spirit.
So, to this end, I see something happening in church that saddens me - many, many Christians spend great time and effort in reading and knowning the bible, but spend very little time trying to actually UNDERSTAND (experientially) what He is saying. You see, there is a difference between knowing Jer. 29:11 cognitively and knowing it experientially. Cognitively, it sounds great and is a wonderful word to pass on to people in need. But, when we’re in need, do we REALLY believe that He knows His plans for us and that we are REALLY going to prosper, even in the face of death?
I find through sessions that few people have ever really worked out that faith. Why? I believe it’s because they believe that they are “standing in faith” when they are really just sitting in hope. They HOPE He will supply their need. They HOPE that they will prosper. They HOPE that He is who He syas He is.
So, how do we move from HOPE to FAITH? The rhema (spoken) word of God. When He takes that verse and then shows us the depth of it in our hearts, our hope becomes faith (the proof of what is not seen but HOPED for). PROOF, ladies and gentlemen. Solid, unwavering proof. The peace that passes understanding comes from an abundance of faith.
So, next time you hear one of those “common” verses like Jer. 29:11, don’t just take it at faith value. Don’t “stand on faith” that it is true. Examine your heart and your beliefs, capture those thoughts, and talk to Jesus about them. Ask Him to show you the experience that makes them true. You see, when He spoke that word to Jeremiah, He didn’t write it down on a piece of paper and hand it to him to read. He spoke the experience of faith into Jeremiah’s heart and changed his life in countless ways. He renewed Jeremiah’s mind. He set Jeremiah’s heart on fire.
John 5:39-40
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
No more sitting on hope in the church! Let’s start to appropriate his rhema voice, add it to the word and our praise, and start changing minds to really know the true beauty of the love of God.
In Paul’s words (Eph 3):
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every familya in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
I, too, pray that the rhema revelation of His love will abide in your heart so that you CAN discover the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love, so that you will have the POWER he lists in v. 18. Dunumas power. Resurrection power.
Let the Word of God mix with the voice of God and the heart of Jesus speaking through the Spirit in your heart so that you may be complete.
Your heart controls your words and everything:A Mother’s interview with her 5yr old
Your heart controls your words and everything.
By Harper Longoria
Age: 5 ½ years old
While sitting at the breakfast table, this little exchange happened today…
"And I know things b/c I know lots of things, more than my brother and sister. Everybody needs to know that (referring to Heart control) So,"
How did you learn that?:
Because I know lots of thinks and God told me about it. And I remember that thing nothing else. Because things are very special to me.
What kind words?:
our words, our heads, and especially our hearing.
The heart said that then it came out and you said it. That’s how it works with your mouth.
How does our heart control our hearing?:
1st the heart hears then is says it. An then it goes into your ears then it goes into the mouth then you say it. Then it goes back into the heart.
Song: she then sang a song about is
-Becky and Harper
Prayers that soften the ground
In case you haven’t read the post on weeds, it might help to put these prayers into perspective.
These prayers are designed to soften the heart so that change can occur with less resistance and struggle. I believe that prayer #1 would generally be the most powerful, but the others are here in case you need a starting point. Pray these prayers daily as move through your healing journey and always continue to seek His guidance in what and how to pray.
I’ve listed these by a general “depth” of desired change. Go as deep as you’re willing and then ask Him to show you how to get to the next prayer down.
Prayer #1 -
Take just a moment to survey your heart. Try to get emotionally connected and allow your heart to tell you what it needs. Where is it lacking? What unresolved pain and hurt has taken hold? Then, craft yourself a short prayer that…
1) Praises Him for what He has already done (remember and feel the gratitude for how He has fought for you on your behalf)
2) Openly and honestly talk to Him about how you feel
3) Ask Him to continue to work on your behalf to soften your heart, uncover the places that need His healing touch, and help you receive all the love that He can give you.
Prayer #2 -
Father, thank you so much for your love and the way you have given so much for my benefit. Thank you for your son, his blood, your spirit, and the healing touch that you have yearned to provide. I know that my heart has not always been open to you, and I also know that I need more of you every second of every day. Please breathe new life into me, fill me with your living water, and soften my heart so that I can receive everything that you have for me. Bless me with more of you. In Jesus name I ask this, amen.
Prayer #3 -
Father, I’m a wreck. I can see that I’ve closed myself off and have kept others out in an attempt to keep control and avoid hurt. I need a new way to live. I need a new heart. Fill me with your love, acceptance, forgiveness, and holy spirit. Let me know your heart in a whole new way. Soften this ground so that I will produce good fruit with ne’er a weed in sight. In Jesus name, amen.
Prayer #4 -
Father, please fill me. Show me yourself and the depths of your love. I want to stand on the mountain, face to face, and talk with you like Moses did. I want to live in the assurance that you really will supply my every need. I want to walk in freedom without a fear of man, beast, or devil. I want to love with power and authority. Soften my heart so that I can truly feel the depth of the love that you have for me. Fill my heart with your living water so that I can be a fountain to every person that thirsts. Search my heart and expose every place that exalts itself against you. Give me the strength to pursue you in freedom and truth and an open heart to walk in total relationship with you. In Jesus holy name, amen.
Prayer #5 -
Jesus, bring your baptism of fire into my life, open and expose my heart, and teach me to love others as you love them.
Prayer #6 - (You’re treading on serious ground, now)
Jesus, teach me patience. Oh, and soften my heart at the same time. In Jesus name, amen.
Prayer #7 -
Jesus, I need a new life. Burn me to the ground. Take everything, be everything, saturate me in your love and steep me in your blood. Fill every waking moment with yourself. Help me to build a truly intimate relationship with you and help me to give you an offering of everything that stands against you in my heart. Show me how to truly die so that I can live in you. In and by your name, may you be glorified on all the earth and in heaven. Amen.
Weeds, Lies, and the Flood
While mowing the lawn the other day, The Lord and I started into a conversation that has not stopped for 3 days. It’s been very interesting and revelatory in SO many ways. I’ll do my best to detail it tonight, and then come back to add more as it progresses. i hope this is able to speak to you as much as it has to me!
Weeds…
As I looked at the job before me, I almost gave up immediately and went back inside for a nap. But, I knew that I was living on borrowed time. You see, the weeds were taking over and it wouldn’t be long until one of my concerned neighbors called the city to ask for assistance in forcing me to mow. Yes, I’m sorry to admit, I’m THAT neighbor. The one who knows exactly how tall the grass can be before legal action can be taken against them. At times, I feel genuinely sorry for my neighbors. The reality is that there are times of the year when I am simply burried under an avalanche of work, and the lawn only gets my attention when it has reaches critical mass.
So, I stood there surveying the weeds that had taken over. I’ve learned from experience that 1) they have to be dealt with by hand, 2) they only get worse if unattended, and, 3) the bigger they are, the hard they pull. So, armed with as much determination as I could muster, I set out to mow while stopping at as many weeds as possible to pull them up.
As I reached the first few, I was surprised at how easily they came up. The further I went, the more I continued to be surprised. I don’t remember this ever being this easy before. What’s going on here?
And then, as if a small breeze had blown by in the Texas heat, I heard the Lord. Quietly, gently, and lovingly, he said, “the sprinklers ran last night.” Huh? It felt like an invitation…
Entering into the conversation, I quipped back, “so what does that have to do with it?” As it turns out, the answer to that question has been everything I’ve thought about over the last 3 days. Here are the basics of what I’ve learned about weeds, lies, and even Noah’s flood:
1) Weeds are much like lies in our lives. They start with a seed and germinate into these “things” that exist both inside our heart and outside of us in behaviors and solutions which are often visibile to everyone else. And, as it turns out, the condition of our heart has a lot to do with how they are removed.
2) When the soil of our heart has been watered (as my lawn had the night before), the weeds will generally pull out rather easily. As long as we grab them at the base, the roots tend to come right out with a tug. He was showing me that we need to be praying for the water of The Spirit long before the session. Perhaps even the week before, they and we should be praying for love, emotional connection, and a softening of the heart. He also gave me two prayer ideas - 1) to write a few “softening” prayers and post them here for people to use (click here), and 2) have the recipient survey their heart, determine what they would like to see Jesus do to help them emotionally, and have them pray this each day for a week before the session. (Prayers that Soften the Ground)
3) When the soil is dry and hard, the weeds don’t tend to come out at all, but simply rip off at the surface. Even here, the lawn is still better off than it was, but we know that since the root is still there, the weed will regrow and the root will have more time to mature and take hold. He showed me that this is still better than nothing and that the recipient will eventually grow weary of the pattern and choose to move deeper to pull the root. This requires great patience on the part of the facilitator. This could be especially important to people that minister to DID recipients (dissociated individuals).
4) The sooner you catch the germinating weed, the easier it is to pull up. Duh...
5) Some weeds have been so entrenched in the soil that they do a lot of damage as they come out. They may take a great deal of soil with them during removal. If this happens, He assured me that he repairs the damage. I felt like this could be related to people who have suffered great abuses where re-living those abuses may be particularly painful. He is faithful and will completely heal all woundings, including any made during the healing process.
6) Different weeds need different amounts of pull to get them out. And, it’s almost impossible to know how much or little force until you try to pull. Some large weeds come out easily and some small ones already have a great hold. Each weed is unique. The warning here was simply to not assume anything about the condition of the recipient or the issues they’re dealing with. Even if you’ve dealt with this lie before, that doesn’t really mean anything about what’s happening in this particular case.
7) Some grow by themselves and some grow in groups. You have to survey the land to find your strategy for removal. Going into the healing process with a sense of scope may make it a little easier (but again, we want to avoid assumptions). Recognizing that there may be a number of weeds present is very important and the recipient should really take the time necessary to discern if all of the related weeds for a given event have been dealt with. If you’re going to take the time and effort to deal with your pain, then be thorough and do your best not to leave any roots.
8) There are times where mowing the yard and cutting off the weeds is appropriate. Sometimes, the person just needs relief and it’s perfectly fine to help them get there and then go after the weeds as they regrow. It’s up to the recipient how they want to proceed.
9) I saw a picture of Elijah sending his servant out to check for rain in anticipation of the end of the drought. I had a sense that we, as facilitators, should be anxious about the healings that are coming. Look for the opportunities and work with expectancy.
10) My Mom added this one - Sometimes, when you’re looking at a yard, you can’t even see the weeds until you try to find them. They just get hidden in the grass until they’re large enough to be seen on their own (good word, mom!)
11) During our conversation, I was thinking about one recipient in particular and had a picture of the hardness and dryness of their heart and the size of the weed above. I thought, “it’s going to take a lot more than 1 week of watering to move that sucker.” The Lord replied, “Yes, it sure will. But, what you don’t see is that I’m also watering it from below. As we apply water from the depths (which I understood to be from their heart through The Spirit) and from above, the weed will pull out easily. The surface tension is easy to break.”
And He went on…
At the time of the flood, the world was one big weed. It was in a condition that no one in the present can understand. As I brought the water to cleanse it, the rain from above could not be enough, so I also opened up the depths. I flooded the whole earth from above and below to purify it. It was the only way to deal with the condition of the world.
So, he has put many clues to our very nature in the physical world around us. Everything speaks of His glory and perfection. As Jesus pointed out, even if voices were silent, the rocks would cry out in praise to God. He has truly created a universe that exudes His very nature at every turn.
I hope that some of these insights will help those both in ministry and those receiving. I STRONGLY recommend that we begin softening the ground of our hearts as daily practice and, especially, as we receive ministry and revelation from The Lord. There is so much that He has to offer, I pray that each of us will be positioned for perfection in Him.
Prayers that Soften the Ground
-Shawn
Chaos
I was standing in line at a local electronics store this weekend. In front of me were a group of around 8 special needs adults hovering around a lady who seemed to be “in charge” of them. As I stood there, I saw each of them moving around and her anxiously watching their movements.
Then, I saw Jesus standing next to each one and he began to “shepherd” each of them. I realized that she was trying to manage what looked like chaos, but that Jesus was actually doing it for her (and for them, too).
As I watched (with tears in my eyes at this beautiful display of love), he told me that she was taking too much responsibility for their care. She was carrying a weight that she should not have and that it was hurting her. She and the group were called to a register as I stood watching.
Within a minute or two, they were headed out. Just as they disappeared from sight, he told me to go tell her what I saw and that he wanted to lift her burned. As I left the store, I realized that they were nowhere to be found…
Just then, a store clerk announced that they had $.25 hotdogs in the parking lot, and Jesus said, “she told you where to go…” Yep, there they were getting hotdogs. AWESOME! This is going to be FUN!
So, I found her and told her what he had showed me. I also told her that he really wanted to lift her burden and step in as her helper in caring fr her group. She smiled and thanked me and began to move away. I took my que and started to walk to my car.
Within a few seconds, she stopped and turned to me and said, “you know, this is the second time something has happened this week. A few days ago, a man came up to me at the gas station and told me that God told him to buy my gas. Something’s going on.” HOW GREAT!!!!! I get to be a “confirming” circumstance to his love!
I told her again, that God wanted to lift her burden and that it looked like he was really chasing after her to send two people in the same week.
We both left with big smiles. I felt a great sense of accomplishment to have been a part of spreading his love.
Interestingly, a few hours later, I got a phone call about a video production job this week, but it fell on an already hectic day where I have several guys shooting for me in different places. That’s chaos to me. Immediately, he showed me how he would shepherd each guy at each job and totally changed my perspective for the day. By giving me this glorious encounter with this woman, he was able to speak into both of our circumstances to show his love and faithfulness in even the smallest details of our lives. God is good!
-Shawn
Doing it for the one
Recently, I’ve been involved in a number of endeavors that don’t really seem to pan out. I have a home video production business, and we’ve had a number of jobs that were barely enough to even make them worth doing. Then again, we’ve also had a number of jobs that weren’t worth doing from a business perspective. All I know is that I take jobs because Jesus tells me to, not because I see a profit.
Case in point was a choir concert we had a little while back. Due to a number of very unusual circumstances, I was set to film a wedding and had to hire someone to cover a choir concert that was scheduled for the same night. I went through my usual list of friends and subs to no avail. I was completely stuck.
Jesus gave me the name of a high school kid I’ve known for a couple of years. He’s helped me a little, but certainly never behind a camera. Jesus assured me that he would be fine, so we set it up. He’s smart and capable, and Jesus assured me that He’d take care of him.
Jesus also arranged to give me some extra time on the day of the concert/wedding to help him setup. So, I not only setup the equipment, but also got to give him a great run though at the school. As always, I double checked all settings and hardware and felt completely confident that everything was in order. We even had a few safety nets in place just in case.
On the way back to our home city, he admitted that he was scared out of his skin about making a mistake for me. He was willing to feel what he was believing, and we had an incredible session where Jesus explained to him that he couldn’t make a mistake - Jesus had everything covered. It was beautiful!
So, guess what? That night, not one - but 2 camera batteries died on him. Left him completely helpless. Thankfully, he and the person taking orders at the table contacted me at the wedding and I walked them through how to get him up and running again. Jesus had even laid that path out perfectly - total redemption! He missed about 2 minutes of the concert - it was incredible damage control. But, most importantly, he was calm and collected and at peace because Jesus really was in charge.
At the end of it all, Jesus asked me, “is it worth everything that happened and any customer complaints you get for John to see how I changed his life? For him to know without a doubt that I spoke to him and took away his fear? That I AM with him in everything?” Well, put in those terms, absolutely! My discomfort in dealing with a few upset people is nothing in comparison to John’s experience.
In the end, I had a couple phone calls and 1 refund. And, in true Jesus fashion, he even helped me to understand that the problem wasn’t the batteries at all (I had bought new ones as a result of this), but a faulty battery charger that showed that they were charged when they weren’t. He tied up every loose end for me.
We’ve had a few other times where He’s asked me a, “would it be worth it if…” question. Usually, it’s about serving as little as 1 person. “If one person sees me as a result of your business, is this job worth it?” It’s not unlike Lot’s “negotiation” with God over Sodom - “will you spare it if there are as few as … righteous people?” The answer is always yes.
So, next time you’re in a jam or things aren’t going your way, ask yourself (or let God ask you), “is this worth it for the one person that may benefit? Am I willing to lay myself down for just that one?” The answer will stir your heart and give you fresh hope and perspective as you move forward in difficult times.
-Shawn