When I prepare a lesson, I often think of what would wow my students. I want to be like Nathan when he tells David the story about the lamb and catches David off guard. Then David responds with repentance. How awesome would that be, to be able to wow people with a lesson. I want to be remembered as a good teacher. I want to be remembered as a pastor that made people think.
As I read Matthew today Jesus was astounding people left and right. People were amazed with His teaching. He even wowed the Sadducees. He made them sorry they asked a question. Then Jesus asks the Sadducees and the Pharisees a question and they could not answer it. They come to Jesus and try and trip Him up and they themselves got tripped up. Oh, what a great day that would have been.
The problem is that is not what the passage is about. Woven throughout the chapter is Jesus saying give everything that is God’s to God. Then He goes into the great commandment (Love the lord your God with all your heart soul, mind and strength and love you neighbor as yourself).
What is God’s? Everything is His. Your heart, his! Your mind, His! Your strength, His! All that you are is His. I should not want to wow people with my clever speech. I should want to wow my God with my love for Him. That should be my desire. He should be all my desire. I think to often I believe when I put a lesson together that it is my persuasive speech that is going to make a difference. Instead I should see that it is God working in me that is going to make a difference, because I am surrendering my mind, soul and strength to Him.
Have I given Him all that I am, or do I want to keep some of me for me?
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