COMMITTED TO THRIVING
The Angel Oak Tree, Jones Island Park, South Carolina |
Matthew
22:15-22
Psalm
1
Here's
a modern fable you may be familiar with:
- A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road.
- The Chicken says: "Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!"
- Pig replies: "Hm, maybe, what would we call it?"
- The Chicken responds: "How about 'ham-n-eggs'?"
- The Pig thinks for a moment and says: "No thanks. I'd be committed, but you'd only be involved."
-
- What can this story along with a Roman coin and an oak tree teach us about thriving as Christians and as the church.
Every
living creature on this planet seeks to flourish, from single cell
organisms to plants to animals to human beings. We are created with
the desire to become all we can be and to live purpose-filled and
meaningful lives; in other words, to thrive.
Whether
it's to be in best physical condition we can be or to develop our
talents to their fullest potential or to live a healthy, balanced
life, we have to be committed to it. To thrive as Christians and as
a church, we are called to be fully committed to it. The question
posed by the story in Matthew 22:15-22 is are we willing to do that?
“Show
me the coin used to pay the tax,” Jesus said to the Pharisees and
the followers of Herod. And they brought him a silver coin, a
denarion.
“Whose
image and inscription is this?” he asked as he pointed out the
royal seal that the coin had been stamped with.
“Caesar's,”
they answered.
“Then
give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what is God's.”
This
answer sent them away speechless and shaking their heads. It should
give us pause to think because it poses a serious question. “ Are
we, who are created in the image of God, giving our all to God?”
The
fable of the Chicken and the Pig defines two types of people. The
Chicken is only involved, it's like people who say they “believe in
God” or “are spiritual” but don't really have a life-changing
relationship with God through Christ.
The
Pig is like those who are totally committed to their faith and
understand it requires the sacrifice of spiritual discipline and
leaving one's safety zone to be obedient to the mission of God. That
kind of commitment results in fruitful and transformational living
which is what thriving is all about.
Jesus
answer challenges us to think about which we are – the fully
committed pig or the casually involved chicken.
On
Jones Island in South Carolina grows the Angel Oak Tree.
Conservatively, it's estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old,
stands 66.5 feet tall, measures 28 feet in circumference and produces
shade that covers 17,200 square feet. It still produces acorns and
has survived numerous hurricanes.
It
thrives because it has a root system that goes down approximately
66.5 feet and spreads out over an area of 17,200 square feet. There
is as much tree below ground as there is above ground.
That's
what is needed to thrive like the tree described in Psalm One: a
commitment to developing a deep inward, spiritual life rooted in our
relationship with God in Christ that results an an outward life that
is strong healthy and makes a positive difference in the lives of
others and in the world.
We
are created in the image of God, and God's royal seal is stamped on
all aspects of our lives. We are called to commit all that we are
and all that we have to Christ; we are called to strive to thrive.
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