in His steps

My grandparents have this cool room under their staircase. I found myself in there the other day, sitting against a dusty mattress, checking out the old, hard-cover books in the bookshelf. I always seem to find something, too.

This time it was a blue book called In His Steps. I'd never heard of it, but apparently everyone else has. I'm not too far into it but I'm thinking it's maybe where the whole what would Jesus do? saying came from.

And, wow, has it made me think. There was this one line, talking about doing what Jesus would do -- "regardless of the results to ourselves."

Doing what Jesus would do regardless of what I fear it will mean for me. Humiliation, loneliness, whatever else it is. I can't be bothered thinking up a massive list of fears right now, but take talking to the kid standing by themselves. For some reason, something about that screams no, don't! and I can't for the life of me figure it out. Because let's say someone goes up and starts talking to the kid by themselves -- who sees that and says, "I cannot believe they are talking them." Isn't it more, Wow, I wish I had the guts to do that? I don't know. Just something to think about.

And there's the story of the sheep and the goats. Whenever I read this story... it gets me. Because I'm like... oh. Oh.

 It's Matthew 25:31-46.

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Matthew 10:38-39

 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

It's hard stuff, isn't it? It really is. Because... it's giving up our lives. It really is. Jesus spoke about that a lot, didn't he? And then in Corinthians -- "The old life has gone; the new has come!"  He talks about real life, with God. "Giving, not getting, is the way." 

What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. -- Luke 12

How often do we rely on ourselves? And fail? Time and time and time and time again! Luke 12 is saying something different.

There's so many things I want to say. Verses, things I've read. Maybe just go pick up your Bible. Check out Romans. Matthew. Luke. Wherever you want to read. 

And maybe one of the things that Jesus said that is possibly forgotten and considered not as important -- Jesus said to be humble. If I were really humble I wouldn't be so freaked out about giving up all  I'm so convinced I am and have. So now what? 

Pray.