A fresh approach with a surprising twist.
Our lawn—-post Rick
Upon deciding on a total knee replacement, the preparation details astounded me: exercises, medications, getting a driver for two 45 mile trips to the Riverside Kaiser hospital and other appointments and activities—no driving while taking oxycodone. And the horror stories arrived—incredible, unimaginable pain for months.
I began strategizing, and organized it. Even the rehab equipment. I planned the yard work that needed to be done before the surgery, including mowing our lawn the day before they chiseled my knee out. Then spring arrived, and I soon realized my mowing job wouldn’t last a month or so. No way I could handle that while rehabbing, we have a good-sized front yard with a lot of up and down and go around.
Then stepped in Rick, a long-time friend and member of our Life Group. “Tim, count on me to mow your lawn.” The one thing I couldn’t do myself (nor could Sheila).
Then stepped in our pastor, Chris Brown, in a message on Jesus, “We only need a Savior for something we can’t do.” Rick and Chris combined to blow my mind. Most things on my list I could do—no Savior needed. But one I could not—I needed a savior here. Rick stepped up to save me by doing what I could not.
Not a new concept, just fresh wording. We can do much, but not all. The obvious application: we cannot be good enough to reach heaven with a holy God. Even the best humans cannot, and in this Easter season we celebrate how Jesus died for our sins, and makes us righteous as Paul realized, “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith (trust) in Christ” (Philippians 1:9 NLT).
That takes a burden off. No more vain attempts to be good, we just get clothed with Jesus’ righteousness through faith. We surrender, we obey, we love him, and can take peace in that. Yes, our behavior changes, but out of love, not duty.
Rick showed another dimension: we provide a physical savior to others to do what they cannot. And vice versa. Not that we become codependent and do for them what they should, but that our faith in Jesus brings a love and action to others, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17 NLT). Yes, we need connections with others for this to be two-way. That’s why God gave us the church.
For the big needs, we need a Savior—with a large S. For smaller needs, we can be a savior—with a small s.
Kick Starting the Application
Have you thought of how a Savior provides what we cannot do? How does that change your walk with God? Have you thought of how you can be a savior to those who cannot do some needed things? How might that change your relationships with people?