Thursday, April 15, 2010
YOUR LIFE IS LIKE A LASER POINTER!
Laser pointers. You know what I’m talking about? A small gadget about the size of a pen that emits a glowing colored and “hits” a mark off in the distance. When the beam hits that spot, it settles there and draws your attention there. Teachers or presenters use it on their white boards or powerpoint presentations or maps or images to draw attention to details that might otherwise be missed by others. My experience is simple—when a laser is in use, my eyes are drawn to what the laser hits!
Peter and John may not have literal laser pointers but they indeed are pointing with laser like focus. They are deflecting praise away from themselves in the story today and saying, “it’s the power of Christ in me” that is at work, helping others. In a world where we are taught to celebrate our accomplishments (not a bad thing but. . . )and be proud of what “we’ve done”, Peter and John remind us that all we are & all we do are gracious gifts from God, thus—we should make sure to point to the source of blessing.
Life as a laser pointer is about:
Being grateful
Seeing oneself as an instrument whom God will work through and make a mark on the world.
Sharing your gifts
Looking beyond self (a key focus in ACTS)
It’s easy in a twitter filled, facebook status obsessed world (I tread carefully here as I update my status as well) to put the focus on what we are doing. What if our status update was seen as a chance to “mark” how God is helping us today? Just food for thought.
Also- I got a little chuckle at the end of the reading today (below) where the religious leaders were amazed that a man over 40 was healed. I guess miracles can happen for the post 40 crowd! So, to all of us in the post-40 fraternity/sorority—there’s still hope for God to do great things in our life. My two cents.
For music lovers- You might check out Nichole Nordeman’s song “Legacy” on youtube.com Great lyrics with the continual question- “did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbi4nSrhRxo
Today’s Text- Acts 4: 5-22
5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11This Jesus is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.”
12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. 14When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. 16They said, ‘What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. 17But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ 18So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; 20for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ 21After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. 22For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.
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