So I may be like 15 years late on this, but as we watched Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, something struck me (pun intended).Let me set up the scene for you:
Luke is on Dagobah working with Yoda on becoming a Jedi Knight. Yoda is sitting on top of Luke's feet as he stands on one hand and is moving rocks with the "force" and setting them on top of one another. R2D2 makes some noise (as usual) and throws off Luke's concentration and everything comes tumbling down - including Yoda.
A frustrated and whiny Luke (must have gotten that from his father) starts out the conversation after R2 alerts Luke to the fact that his X Wing Fighter has sunk further into the swamp:
LUKE
Oh no. We'll never get it out now.
Yoda stamps his foot in irritation.
YODA
So sure are you? Tried have you?
Always with you it can't be done.
Hear you nothing that I say?
Luke looks uncertainly out at the ship.
LUKE
Master, moving rocks is one thing,
but this is a little different.
YODA
(irritated)
No! No different! The differences
are in your mind. Throw them out!
No longer of use are they to you.
LUKE
(focusing, quietly)
Okay. I'll give it a try.
YODA
No. Try not. Do, do. Or do not.
There is no try.
Luke closes his eyes and tries to think the ship out.
The fighter begins to shake a little, but doesn't rise.
Luke tries as hard as he can.
LUKE
I can't. It's too big.
YODA
Size has no meaning. It matters
not. Look at me. Judge me by
my size do you?
Luke shakes his head no.
Yoda, Jedi master, raises his arm. The
huge X wing fighter moves magically out of the muddy
swamp and lands gently on the shore.
Luke is amazed.
LUKE
I don't believe it.
YODA
That is why you fail.
For me this whole thing comes down to faith. Faith without actions is dead... Paul said that, but I'm not even talking about "doing" things necessarily. I'm talking about believing, trusting, knowing that God will do what He says He will do.
God says, "Scott, I will take care of you and Cheryl no matter how much money you have in the bank. Keep your eyes on me and everything will be just as I want it to be. May not be exactly the way you want it to be, but it has a purpose. Believe."
I say, "Well, I trust you, BUT..." and there it is. As Yoda said, "That is why you fail." Do I really believe? Not enough, I have a tendency to hedge my bets. Making plans and drawing up possible scenarios.
God is just asking me to believe. He'll take care of it. Faith is believing... The action is letting go of my logic and buying into His.
I may not need to put rocks on top of one another or lift my X Wing Fighter out of a swamp, but Jesus let me know that all I need is faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain.
I'll get workin' on that one...
1 comment:
Believe it or not, I was reading a paragraph in a book yesterday after God had revealed something awesome that he did for us financially. It talked about having a "Do it myself" attitude and went on to say...I need to study Your Word and grow in knowledge of You in order to attain Godliness. That is my part. Then I can help my children understand how to live godly lives. You have already given us all the things we need for life and godliness. You are the Great Provider.- I have been really stressed about finding a paying job. But my real "job" is mothering my children. I can't stand to be away from them. It feels all wrong to leave home and work for money. Thankfully, God has money stashed somewhere that I don't know about and every now and then some turns up unexpectedly. It's hard to believe even after it happens, let alone before hand, when you don't know how you're going to make it.
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