Unless a grain of wheat dies it
remains only a single grain. This is one of the constant dilemmas of modern
life how do I gain what I want without losing what I already have. There is a
sense in which we are told we can have it all without making a commitment to
something or someone. The central question in the midst of competing demands is
whom would I want to risk everything for? Jesus is struggling with this
question as he knows people are attracted to his life and ministry. Yet he is
not sure whether it is because of who he is or what he does that attracts them.
It is probably easier to describe a person by what they do rather than who they
are. We watch a person’s actions as articulating a sense of what they truly
value. Yet this is what Jesus’ tries to draw the disciple’s attention towards.
It is not the miracles that make the difference to a person’s life even when
they can restore a person to health, it is being drawn into a living
relationship with God that makes the difference to how a person views the world
and lives in it.
Our surrender to God’s loving
presence makes all the difference. Yet we are reluctant to surrender ourselves
to God because we fear that we will lose control over our lives and direction.
Yet the very act of surrendering to God’s loving guidance actually involves us
more in discovering our own hidden potential to bring life to others. This is
certainly the experience of the saints. When they lost everything they gained
everything and their lives burst open in joy towards God. This is not about working
harder or longer but discovering that God’s wisdom and love at the centre of
our living can be the most life giving thing we can help us to be present to
others. What seems like a waste of time can be our most productive moment. It
is important to discover that God seeks only the best for us which is when our lives
bear fruit.
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