Clay in the Hands

Today’s Pray-As-You-Go Jesuit podcast reading was out of the Gospel of Mark.  It was the account of Jesus having to get into a boat and push out into the water so that he could speak.  We are told that people were coming from every region to see and hear him.  In this particular account, there were so many people crowding around him that he could not even speak – thus the need to get out into the water.

Jesus was an amazing teacher.  When he spoke he spoke with authority – like no one before him.  It was fresh and real and people just knew it was the truth.  People were drawn to him.  Sure, some were drawn because of the miracles and maybe even the thought of a free meal (funny – a free meal still works today).

I believe people are still drawn to Jesus – the real one.  Not the one that we sometimes fabricate in our churches.  But the one in scripture – the only ONE.

In Jesus’ day, there was no internet, no cell phones, no newspaper.  The word about Jesus spread solely by word of mouth.  And yet, there were so many people seeking him out from all over the region that he could not even speak without getting into a boat and pushing out into the water.  What would happen today if we got the word out about Jesus.  If we were to use the resources at our disposal to proclaim the news about Jesus we should see our world turned around.

Jesus, when he was talking to his disciples, made the statement that he would be lifted up and when that happened, he would attract all people to himself (you can see the discussion here).  Now not to take this out of context because he was referring to being put on a cross explaining how he would die – but the truth of his words are still true today.  I believe that when we put Jesus first, when the focus of our ministry is to promote Jesus – to lift him up – people will be drawn to him.  What if that was our only focus today?

How will you lift up Jesus in the next 2 hours?

Who has your heart?  Obviously, your literal heart is beating inside your chest.  But what about the center of your being?  When the Bible talks about the heart, it is referring to the deepest part of you – that part of you that only you and God truly knows (and by the way, God knows better than you).  That part of you that defines you as a person – what makes you tick.

All of us have that center – the heart of who we are – complete with dreams and aspirations, passion and focus.

So who has your heart?  It could be your job.  It could be your family.  It could be yourself – and many of us fall into this trap often.  Our biggest desire is to be in charge of our own destiny and focused on ourselves.

Today, try giving your heart to Jesus.  Focus on his leadership in your life – his compassion for others.

How your day goes will be directly related to where you put your heart today.  Make a good choice.

As I drove to work this morning, I plugged in and listened to some Gungor.  To be honest, my mind was on the mountain of tasks that this day holds.  So I wasn’t really listening to the words of the song.  But one sentence caught my attention.

Jesus – your the one who saves us – constantly creates us into something new.

Has Jesus saved you?  Is he creating you into something new?

When we turn the control of our lives over to Jesus, he begins his work.  You see, when we make the decision to follow Jesus and his teachings, we don’t automatically and magically become all that God wants for us.  Growing in our relationship with God and as a follower in the Way is a journey – a progression.  But it is constantly happening.

I guess that is the word that stuck out for me this morning – constant.

As I have mused over this little word I have been reminded that the Holy Spirit uses all kinds of things to shape us – to mold us into the people we were created to be in this world.  Think about this – just about everything you do today and everything that you encounter could be meant to be a growing opportunity – a learning experience – a part of the process and progress.

That means that the little inconvenience you experience when the person just drops by to say Hi! and it turns into an unplanned 30 minute interruption may be intended to grow you.  That added task you did not have on your To Do list when you got up this morning is meant as a life lesson.

The key is being sensitive to this process and being willing to be molded.

Years ago, I chose the name of this blog – Clay In The Hands – intentionally.  As a follower of Jesus, we must see ourselves as clay to be shaped.  But dried out clay isn’t pliable – it can’t be shaped.  In order for the artist to be able to turn a lump of clay into something beautiful, the clay must be willing.

Are you willing today to be molded – to be constantly created?