Go Go Speed Racer, Part Duh.

In the last post I talked about running and how well that was not going. I told the story of the first attempt; now let me tell you about that night. 

I had to go to work that evening, a Monday, with the expectation that it would require little effort. I was terribly wrong. I found that I was chasing myself all over the building, unable to catch up. About two hours in, when I actually stopped for a moment, I realized I could barely stand. I hobbled through that night and the next couple of days, just waiting for the pain to subside so that I could make my second attempt. It's one thing for me to choose not to do something, but if someone or something is holding me back, it just deepens my resolve. 

But what I came to realize was that, no matter the goodness of my intent, I was unprepared to attack this new challenge the way I wanted. I needed to take a step back and form a game plan for strengthening my knee before I could start putting 5ks on the calendar.

This is something I've done repeatedly in my own life: Leap now, look later. As you can guess, this has not worked out to much benefit for me. The bigger problem is that this is how my faith walk has been and, if you stop and think about it, probably yours too. 

There is a great little book called "Sit, Walk, Stand" by Watchman Nee. Nee was an evangelist in China back before the Japanese War. He points out that most epistles are divided into two parts: doctrinal and practical. The second part can then be subdivided into two sections as well: our life in the world and our attitude toward the enemy. The example he uses is Ephesians that he breaks down like this:

                  Ephesians

                          A. Doctrinal (Chapters 1 to 3)

                                      1. Our position in Christ (1:1-3:21)

                          B. Practical (Chapters 4 to 6)

                                      1. Our life in the World (4:1-6:9)

                                      2. Our attitude toward the enemy (6:10-24)

(I will attempt to sum up this little gem of a book quickly to make my point, but I highly, highly recommend you read this book. It's all of like 65 pages and is one of those you can leave and revisit often and not feel this overwhelming need to finish it before moving on to something else.)

Now, this division of Ephesians is paramount to understanding Nee's philosophy, sit-walk-stand. I will not give this concept it's great due here, as I will try to keep it simple. The idea is that we sit in Christ, walk in the world, and stand against the enemy. 

How often do we reverse the first two? Our current Christian culture is really a "do" one. We want to run out and "do" something for Jesus and then rest. Nee suggests that we take the counter intuitive approach and sit first. He's 100% right as far as I can see. 

The best example of this is the last bit of time the apostles spent with Jesus before He proved to be the original, (and only), Superman and disappeared behind the clouds. In Acts 1:4 we see Jesus chilling/eating with the remaining 11 apostles and He tells them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the gift God has promised. So they waited. Holed up in some cramped quarters, hiding away.......................for 10 stinking days. I bet they felt like toddlers on the week before Christmas. Oh the agony! When I read this I can't help but think about my godson, John Mark, (I call him and his brother, Asher, my godsons because, well, as I've told their parents, they're part mine anyway, and I can't imagine loving my own child anymore than I do these two. So what else do I call them? If you come up with something better you let me know). Anyway, back to John Mark. Let's just say JM has not mastered the art of anticipation. In fact, I've thought, in times passed, that the mere waiting for an event that he is super pumped about might actually give him a stroke. He just can't stand it. So in my mind, when I imagine this scene, there's a dozen or so John Marks running around completely coming apart at the seams. 

I've strayed a little off point, so let me bring it back. If Jesus held up his boys, who had to be super pumped themselves to get out and share the news, (hello, Jesus dead, Jesus now alive, they all had to be in surreal, mouth-a gaped  awe), what makes you think He wouldn't expect you to hold back a moment or two as well? 

The most important thing we can do is wait on Him. I actually had a friend question whether or not the phrase, "wait on the Lord," might infer serving the Lord, like waiting on a customer. I entertained this notion for a moment and then I realized that, while this notion is no less biblical really, it messes up the point. God is saying, "DON'T GO ANYWHERE, UNTIL I SEND YOU." 

You see, when we alter the process and leap first, we will most likely make it all about ourselves in the end. God not only wants, but demands, that He be glorified through you, (because it's actually not about you at all, gasp!), so it makes sense that He would want to be in the locker room with you, pregame, and share with you HIS plan. Not to mention, this is far more rewarding for us to encounter than a plan of our own making. And the end result is, well, far more Godly.

So run your race, but let Him hold the starter pistol.