April 20, 2009
Week one of my two weeks of peace and quiet is finally here!! I’ve got the office to myself!!
Well…actually, I have to admit I miss those guys already. And the time will probably be anything but peace and quiet since it is youth choir tour season. My head is spinning from all the information James pumped into me before he left. Transportation, lodging, food, The Big Texan, Carlsbad Caverns, juvenile justice centers, t-shirts, messenger bags, car wash. A lot goes into 7 days on the road with 28 kids and 8 adults. Part of me gets tired just thinking about it, but mostly I AM PUMPED! Nothing gets my motor running like James entrusting me with an assignment. I take great delight in trying to do it just the way he wants it done. That’s why I spent several hours before he left picking his brain so I could figure out what all was in there–which was a challenge to say the least. NO, not because it’s empty, but because it’s fuller than you think. Before he left he gave me authority to act on his behalf to finalize details that he has been working on for months. It’s a big responsibility, but because he gave me the authority I need to act, I’m empowered to accomplish in his absence what he is not able to do by virtue of the fact that he is not here.
Now, to get to my point: many times over the last 13 years of working with James God has used our relationship of boss and assistant to teach me about the relationship I have with Him as Master and servant. As I was preparing for these two weeks, I once again found this to be true and I’d like to share some of those lessons with you.
1) Just as James took the time to go through all the details of things I might need to know in his absence so I could be prepared and confident to carry on his work, I thought about how Jesus’ prepared His disciples for His departure so they could carry on His work. Beginning with the Last Supper recorded in the 13th chapter of the book of John and continuing through chapter 16 Jesus gave them instructions which still give us comfort and hope today. He spoke words like, “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me…I am going away to prepare a place for you…I will come back and receive you to Myself…I will not leave you as orphans…My peace I give to you…I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling…You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Jesus was preparing them (and us) with words of encouragement and confidence for the day they would carry on His work although he would not be physically by their side.
2) Just as there came a moment when the most important thing I had to do was to sit down face to face with James and ask specific questions and apply my mind to fully understanding how to carry on his work, I must spend time with Jesus before I can do anything for Jesus. The only way I can know His heart is to ignore every distraction and spend “face to face” time with Him in prayer and the Word depending on His wisdom to answer the what, the when and the where.
3) Just as James gave me authority to make arrangements on his behalf and make decisions if necessary, Jesus has imparted authority to me as His child to “Go and make disciples…” It’s interesting that we often quote the Great Commission beginning with those words as if that’s all Jesus had to say. But before He said, “Go” he gave this reminder: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” It’s with His authority we “go and make disciples.” Notice that we are not commanded to make converts or get professions, but to make disciples–disciples who publicly and unashamedly identify themselves with Christ and who observe or do as opposed to just knowing the commands of Christ. Making disciples is something we cannot do in our own authority. Converts, yes; professions of faith, yes, but disciples, no. He is the One who by His Spirit draws people to Himself. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. Cindy’s paraphrase goes like this: “I’m the one with authority over everything, not the enemy. I’m telling you that all you have to do is just go and find the ones I’m drawing into a relationship and make disciples out of them because the authority is mine. The way you find them is by sharing the gospel. As you go this is my promise: I will be with You until the end of the age.”
That thought brings me to one of the differences–James is out of cell phone reach (a rarety) and I must depend on my notes (which sometimes can’t be deciphered) and my memory (which sometimes is absent) to know how to follow through. But, my Lord and Savior promised to be with me always. He gave me His Holy Spirit to teach me all things and remind me of everything He says. (John 14:26) He’s even ready and willing to help me fulfill the tasks that James is depending on me to accomplish. Yes, nothing would delight me more than to be able to say to James when he returns, “I have accomplished all that you gave me to do” except being able like Jesus to say it to my Heavenly Father. “I have glorified You on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” (John 17:4) And the truth is, when I follow the instructions given to me by my earthly boss, I am following the instructions given to me by my Sovereign Ruler and He is honored.
What blessing is mine that my Lord has taken such great care to daily set before me living illustrations that teach me about Him on a level I can understand.
