I hope you enjoyed the holidays and got a chance to spend some quality time with family and friends -- and some earnest time in prayer, worship, service, thanks and praise. After all, that is what holy-days are supposed to offer us time to do -- stop, pause, reflect, thank and praise.
My
first selection for the new year is taken from Kyle Idleman's book,
"Not a Fan." A fan, of course, is one who stands
on the sidelines cheering, but never really gets into the game. They watch
others play and cheer or critique their performance, but they do it as an
observer and not an active participant. This, as he points out, is the habit of
many in the church. Instead of being involved, they stand on the sidelines watching
from a distance and critiquing those who are. And and as you might guess, the
purpose of his book is to encourage people to stop being fans, get in the game,
and start being earnest, involved, and completely committed followers of Jesus.The following excerpts are from friends or people in his congregation who were fans, but through some life experiences (often difficult ones), were led to become wholehearted followers of Christ. I have included just two of their stories. Enjoy.
Not
a Fan Story - by Dr. Rich Edwards
"On
February 10, 2006 I was in control of my life. I had a thriving chiropractic
practice, two sons, and a devoted wife. On February 11, everything changed. I
was heading out to my hunting cabin to hunt wild boar with friends. As I drove
along I could see the effects from the severe drought we had been experiencing.
Everything seemed to have dried up and died. By the time I reached the road
heading to the cabin it was dark. As I turned, I missed the road and ended up
in five feet of thick brush. I tried to free my truck by putting it in
forward, and then reverse, repeatedly. The friction from that somehow ignited
the brush. Within seconds the truck was a large torch. I reached for the door
handle to escape but the electrical system burned out and I was locked inside.
Seconds later the windows exploded.
I
don't know what happened after that, and I have no idea how I got out of the
truck. The next thing I remember is walking down the road to the cabin telling
myself over and over, "Don't stop. Keep going." When I reached the
cabin my friends thought I was wearing some kind of three-dimensional leafy
hunting outfit, but it wasn't camouflage. It was shredded, charred skin. A
medical helicopter took me to a burn unit where I was told I wouldn't have much
of a face left, and I would probably lose my sight as well as the use of my
hands. God put an absolute halt on my life. I was so busy being so
successful; I was on such a fast track, that God was a part of my life, but he
was not the most important part. He was not on the throne of my heart or at the
center of my universe. I was at the center.
I
don't believe God caused the fire, but I do believe God allowed it because he
wanted to get my attention. Like a parent who tries to get through to a child,
God grabbed me by the shoulders, sat me down, and said, "I want you to
listen to me." That was the beginning of a spiritual awakening in my life.
Over the next four years doctors amputated seven fingers. I couldn't use what
was left of my hands for even the simplest of tasks. But the doctors said there
was nothing more they could do. That's when my wife, Cindy, asked about the
possibility of a hand transplant. That began a time of waiting, testing, and
prayer. We spent countless hours reading the Bible and praying together.
Finally the day for my double hand transplant arrived. Twenty surgeons and
three anesthesiologists took 17 and 1/2 hours to attach my new hands.
Many
people have pointed out that it was a miracle that I didn't die in the fire
that day. That's true, but in a very real way I did die in that fire. That man
I was died that day and God gave me a new life where I'm not in control but
have turned the controls over to him. I'm not in charge of my life anymore, I
have submitted everything to Jesus. These days my wife and I constantly pray to
be used by God in any way he wants to bring him glory. It may sound crazy, but
I would rather have gone through all the pain and suffering and all of these
challenges and have the relationship with Jesus I now have, than continued down
the path I was on before the accident without that relationship. My name is
Rich Edwards, and I am not a fan."
Not
a Fan Story - by Carolyn Day
"I
grew up in North Carolina, and though I believed in God, I didn't really have
any kind of relationship with Jesus. As a student, I quickly became interested
in the medical field and started working toward the goal of becoming a medical
doctor. In the year 2000, I was studying to become a surgeon when things in my
world began to fall apart. My husband at the time asked for a divorce, and two
days later my mother committed suicide. The next year I led a double life. I
was a surgical resident at work, but the rest of the time I was drinking heavily
and contemplating my own suicide. I had no idea what to do or who to turn to.
What soon became clear was that I couldn't bear these burdens alone. I
had only visited church occasionally when I was growing up, but I found myself
praying. I said, "God, if you're there, please take some of this off
of me." I felt like I had lost everything. God was all that was left, but
I wasn't sure that was enough.
After
finishing my residency and getting married, my husband and I moved to the
Louisville area to begin my career as a surgeon. Some friends invited us to
come to church, and we accepted. Through coming to church every weekend, I
found myself praying more and more. I started praying about whether or not I
would give my all to God. Five days after I started praying, Kyle invited
anyone who was ready to surrender everything to Jesus and follow him.
The
next week I was baptized. It was uncomfortable, but it was a clear sign of the
obedience God was calling me to. To be honest, I didn't expect to feel as
different as I do. I never understood it when people would say they were born
again or saved. I guess it's not something you can really understand until
you've experienced it yourself. The healing I've felt since giving my life to
Christ is incredible. I think that's because only the Great Physician could
heal the wounds of this surgeon. And he has. My name is Carolyn Day and I am
not a fan."
Maybe
today you can ask yourself: Are
you a fan looking on at the players and cheering or critiquing those involved
in serving Jesus from the stands, or are you and active, committed,
participating follower of Jesus?
To
tweak the words of James just a little: Are you a doer of the
Word, or just an onlooker? Are you still standing on the fringes looking
in from the outside, or are you all in? Do you still run your life, or
does Jesus?
Living
in the Grace of Jesus, Pastor Jeff
