Friday, October 7, 2011

It's Not All Up to Me


If you run a business, raising a family, or part of any venture, chances are you think “it’s all up to you.” I’m not running a business or raising a family, but I am planting a church and the tendency is to think that “it’s all up to me.” Sadly that puts pressure on us that God never intended us to bear. It also robs us of our joy and God of His glory.

The truth is, it’s not all up to me, nor is it all up to you. It’s all up to God. Jesus did an amazing thing one day to teach his disciples this truth. It’s in the Gospel of John chapter 6. Here a crowd of people have gathered around Jesus when he turns to one of his disciples and asks, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” The truth is He already knew the answer but He said it to “test” Philip. Sadly Philip failed the test. He figured it was all up to him and so he said, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Andrew on the other hand, who was always bringing people to Jesus, brought a little boy to Jesus who had five barley loaves and two small fish. For sure it wasn’t much but, he knew that it wasn’t all up to him, but it was all up to Jesus. He passed “the test” and brought what he had to Jesus. Jesus then did an amazing thing. He not only multiplied the five loaves and two fish so that there was enough to feed five thousand men but he multiplied the little boys lunch so that there were enough “leftovers” for each one of the disciples.

So what’s the point? The point is IT’S NOT ALL UP TO ME, and neither is it all up to you, IT’S ALL UP TO HIM. The only thing we can do is bring what little we have to Jesus.