When Jesus arrived on
the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who
were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent
that no one could go through that area.
They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of
God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” There happened to be a large herd of pigs
feeding in the distance. So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send
us into that herd of pigs.” “All right,
go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered
the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and
drowned in the water. The herdsmen fled
to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed
men. Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to
go away and leave them alone. Matthew 8:28-34 (NLT)
The town’s people and the herdsmen were
more concerned about their own things, such as their pigs, than about the lives
of others being changed for the better. And
though the herd of pigs may have been the livelihood of the herdsmen, if they
had let Jesus replace the pigs with something better for their provision, they
would have had a better life. Instead they
begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Some people are so self-absorbed
and concerned about their own interests that they will actually resist the good
Jesus would do in their lives. When you
try to help others move toward Jesus, to welcome Him into their lives and
discover the change He can make in their lives and the good He would do, they
sometimes resist. And that can be
discouraging to you. But don’t let their
resistance stop you from going to others to give them the good news of what
Christ can do. Instead direct your
attention toward someone else who may be receptive to the good God wants to do
in his or her life.
Sometimes God directs us to those
who are willing to hear by directing us away from those who aren’t
willing. The point is that we keep going
to people so that God can steer us to the ones who are ready to hear the good
news of Christ.
Posts
Resisting the good Jesus can do in a person's life reminds me of my own resistance before I joined Clay Community Church. I visited so many churches that I began to wonder if I would ever find a place where I would feel accepted. The painful truth is that what I really was resisting was change. I knew I had accepted Christ as my personal savior, but never fully understood how important it could be in my life to share that experience with others...simply because I didn't think they wanted to hear what I had to say. How many times did I stop Jesus from putting the right words in my mouth so that someone else would have the opportunity to know him? Do you realize that at this point I have used the word(I) 12 times! What an awakening for me about being self-absorbed. Dear Father God, please forgive my selfish ways. Remove the walls of resistance that keep me from your desire to transform me. Give me the wisdom through your word to hear your voice and know in what direction you would have me go. Help me to be a godly vessel of your good news and to pour out its contents continuously. Help me to not become self-absorbed and self-selecting when speaking to others. Thank you for loving me and entrusting me with such a wonderful mission. When the path isn't clear my prayer is that your countenance will shine brightly so that I may reach the destination of your choosing. Thank you for Pastor David and my Christian family at Clay Community Church. I give you all the praise and glory in everything knowing that thy will be done not mine...Amen
ReplyDelete