Artists dream. Artists go out on a limb. Artists push their creativity to the limits and beyond. Artists develop ideas and concepts that they aren't sure how to bring to fruition. Is that the end of their pursuit? What happens when they face uncertainty? What happens when they can't see past the questions? DO THEY QUIT? DO THEY GIVE UP AND DO WHAT IS EASIER? No! They find a way to make it happen. It may take time. It may take trying things they've never done before. It may take failing before succeeding. Dreams are worth pursuing even when the path takes us to unexpected places. When we find a way to do what we've never done....we grow, we change, and we become better for it.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19: 1-10
Zacchaeus was on a mission. For whatever reason, he had to see Jesus. The crowds were thick, and Zacchaeus could not get through to see him. He was too short to see over them. He had to find a way. He saw a tree up ahead, and he climbed up its branches. There, up in a tree, out on a limb...he could see Jesus. Zacchaeus did not give up. He did not turn around and walk away. That would have been easy. He placed himself in a position where he could see Jesus, and where Jesus could see him. When I read these verses....I see the Holy Spirit at work. Zacchaeus may not have known exactly what it was going on inside of him, but there was a stirring of his heart/soul. His life would never be the same.
God will find a way to get our attention. When he brings us into a personal relationship....when he calls us to use our gifts and talents to serve him & minister to others....God finds a way. However, too often we try to find a way to tune out/ignore God, make excuses why it's not the right time, or we're not the right person for the "job". We might feel it is uncomfortable, too challenging, not meant for us, or that we might fail. It may take trying things we've never done before. It may take failing before succeeding. God's dreams are worth pursuing even when the path takes us to unexpected places. When we find a way to do what we've never done....we grow, we change, and we become better for it. Going out on a limb is not about the risk we take, but the view of what is possible when we trust the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment