Dive In
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38
I attended 4H camp several times in my childhood. I loved it. I loved the variety of activities we could participate in, and made sure I tried everything. More than anything, I loved the time we got to spend at the huge pool. The thing that stands out in my memory is the high dive. I have no idea how high it actually was, only that it felt extremely high to 9 year old me. I remember watching other kids for a few days before I could even get the courage to think about it. Finally, near the end of camp I worked up enough courage to climb the tower. Once I was at the top, the struggle really began. My mind worked overtime coming up with all of the horrible things that could happen, from mild embarrassment to… death. Finally, I took the leap. What actually happened, was that the t-shirt I wore over my bathing suit came completely off, stripped over my head by the force of hitting the water. Mildly embarrassing, because I had to swim after it. But the thrill of the experience hooked me, and I jumped over and over.
Perhaps the same phenomenon happens when we consider serving our Lord. We watch others, and what they’re doing seems beyond our capabilities… leading prayer, testifying, singing a special, teaching a class, leading singing… perhaps even just making a comment in Sunday School seems beyond what we would be comfortable doing. Sometimes we satisfy ourselves with just watching. When, we do, we’re missing out. That first year at 4H camp, I went home a little sad, because I had only jumped off the high dive on the last day. I could have been doing that all week, if I hadn’t let fear keep me from trying it earlier.
I’ve been feeling kind of the same way, lately, about my faith. I am nearly 50 years old, I was saved 36 years ago, and for over 30 years, I satisfied myself with being a ‘weekend warrior’ I have always been fairly active in church, to the untrained eye. But, in reality, I wasn’t ‘all in’ with my personal faith. Oh, I loved Jesus, I was saved at 14, and had willingly surrendered my soul to Him for safe keeping… but… I wanted to keep Jesus in a box reserved for faith-based activities. I didn’t really want Him getting involved in: my rest and relaxation, my work life, my television choices, and on and on. It wasn’t until I surrendered every area of my life that I really began to understand the depth of a good relationship with our Lord. The blessings of walking close and serving Him are too wonderful to adequately explain, how did I spend more than 30 years missing out on these blessings?
Just like the ‘thrill’ of jumping off that high dive, it never gets old. I can’t possibly do ‘enough’ for my Lord. I’m ready and willing, and asking for direction. ‘Give me something to do, Lord, and I’ll do my best to do it.’ It’s not an attitude I ever expected from myself. I can remember thinking people were a little too ‘into their faith’. Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve become one of those people. But, now that I’ve experienced it, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I distinctly remember the day that I was saved, the complete sense of peace that replaced the riot of turmoil in my soul as I placed my trust in Christ. And, I remember the day 35 years later when, while under a tremendous load in various facets of my life, I gave every area of my life… every area… into His hands, and committed to allowing Him into every aspect of my life. I strive to make every choice, every action based on what His Word says. In the months since that day, I’ve made vastly different business decisions than I would have made before. I’ve turned off television programs that I would have enjoyed before (perhaps with a little guilt, but I would have still watched), and I’ve fallen completely in love with His Word, it is interesting in a way I couldn’t conceive of before. With His guidance, I find something to study and learn every single day.
God doesn’t call us to give our excess to Him. He calls us to give our best to Him, and trust Him to give in excess to us.
What God desires from us, is everything… our all. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied with, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all, your soul, and all your mind.” It goes against our nature to allow God to have total control of our lives, but when we are able to make the leap, the rewards are amazing. Gather your courage and take the leap, dear friends! It may not be perfect, you may find your initial attempts result in mild embarrassment, but the resulting blessings will have you begging our Lord for more opportunities!
