John 3:16-18
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One of my former students posted a story on his blog about his trip to a local donut shop one recent Sunday. An older man came in with two scrubbed and dressed-for-church children. As he approached the counter, he told them that each could spend one dollar. My student observed that the older child – a boy - headed for the “cold case” filled with bottled soft drinks. The little girl, who my student guessed was about four years old, pointed to a tray of donuts – specifically a heavily sprinkled one near the back of the case - and said, “That one.” The clerk selected a donut near the one to which the little girl pointed. She said, “No, that one.” Over the course of several exchanges, the clerk and the older man determined that the donut the clerk selected for her was… “fine.” As the man put it, “They’re all the same.”
My student was beside himself as he watched this exchange. The man and the clerk totally ignored the little girl’s pleas. Yes, it was only a donut… but the two adults totally degraded the child’s self-worth by ignoring her preferences. Her choice didn’t matter… it was all about what they wanted. After all… how hard would it have been to put that donut back and get the one the child wanted? In truth, it would have been faster and easier than the exchange that ensued. My student concluded by saying that once the adults insisted the child take the first donut, she slumped down and said, “Now I’m not going to like my donut.” The man then ordered himself a kolache with jalapenos. My student said he secretly wished the clerk would hand him a plain kolache with the explanation that they were… “all the same.”
Here’s the thing…in life, we are often the four-year-old being told, “It’s all the same.” In other words, it doesn’t really matter whether you choose Jesus – especially at a young age. You have things to experience…a life to live… there is plenty of time for Jesus later. Others will tell you that you don’t have to study the Bible or fellowship with other Christians… go fishing, climb a mountain or work out and “be one with nature”. That’s spiritual enough! Yes, you can discover God’s presence on a mountaintop or in your favorite fishing hole – or even through physical activity and meditation… but this is simply not enough. Still others think that they can claim the name of Jesus in one breath, and berate or degrade others in the next. They fail to recognize that as Disciples of Christ, we are to do our dead-level best to become like Him… and Jesus would never demean or attempt to humiliate anyone.
Jesus is the total package. He’s the One and ONLY Savior…the only Son of God sent to earth in human form to freely and willfully die for our sins. Whether we allow outside forces to influence our choices and actions - or listen to God’s commands - matters. Whether we serve wholeheartedly matters… all service to God is NOT the same. Whether we choose to worship possessions, a statue, another “god” of any sort …or to serve Jesus Christ… matters. There is only one Jesus Christ… only one Holy Spirit… only one Almighty God. We want THAT ONE!!!
Stop and ask yourself… “Am I living like an ‘all the same’ Christian? Am I even truly a Christian in the first place? Have I chosen THAT ONE… Jesus Christ… the one and only Savior who died for my sins so that he could be the LORD of my life?” If you are not living singly for Jesus, you’re not there – yet. But there is still time! Unlike a four-year-old child whose voice is sometimes squelched, you need to stand up and loudly proclaim that “all the same” is not good enough…a life that isn’t “all in” for Jesus is no life at all!
We all need to stand up for Jesus Christ and say, “I want THAT ONE!” and accept no substitutes. Are you ready and willing to do this? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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