Romans 8:11

Carl Belcher

What do you enjoy the most after a day of rushing around? Is it the loving embrace of a comfy sofa? The warm inner glow from a hot chocolate? Or the comforting familiar sounds from the TV as Neighbours and Home & Away gives us our fix?

Usually as I get home Sarah will ask me "What you been up to today?" and as I'm kicking off my shoes and wriggling my grateful toes, I often find myself replying "Oh y'know, just stuff..". Most of the time this is code for "My head's spinning and just needs a little time to stop spinning and return to normal!" But every now and then I find myself reflecting "does any of this 'stuff' actually achieve anything?"

Now before you dive onto the phone to get The Samaritans round to my house, don't panic! Rather than a spiral of depressing thoughts that lead to the conclusion of a certain worm-like status, I usually find myself more motivated, inspired and determined than I've ever been. Why?, because I find out each time that God has called me to more than just stuff !

This happened just recently after watching a great episode of The West Wing. For those of you who have never seen this drama series , I'll try to give you an idea of what it's about. Basically it centres around the President of the United States and his closest team members who all work in the west wing of The White House. The particular episode which God used to speak to me showed the West Wing team in action the day after the President had given his State of the Union Address. This is usually the President's chance to set out his agenda for the next year. Now in his 8th and final year in office, the President gives his last State of the Union Address and receives more applause and standing ovations than any other speech given. The problem is that Leo (his former Chief of Staff and close friend) thinks that it sucked!! and that the President was playing it safe, not really making any promises to boldly change the things in the world that needed changing.

The episode starts off showing Leo with the core team about to share some ideas when one by one, they all get interruptions from mobiles or called out to deal with crises that are developing around the world etc. Later on Leo is having dinner with the President when he challenges him for playing it safe with last night's speech. There is one particular line which really hit me. "You have one more year in office Mr President, for you and me this is our last game. Let's leave it all out on the field..."

Another great line in the programme is later on when the president calls his core team back in to work at 10pm for a meeting (Not sure I would have been too chuffed with that one!)

Leo explains that although everyone had been running around like nutters that day dealing with stuff, the problem was that's all it was... just stuff. On the whiteboard is written 365 and Leo wipes away the 5, replaces it with a 4 and comes out with this corker;

"..We have the ability to effect more change in a day at the White House then we'll have in a lifetime once we walk out these doors. What you want to do with them?..."

Now I know that most of us will never even get to step foot in the White House let alone become the next leader of the free world! But we too have the ability to effect change on a daily basis. The ability to effect change is based on power. The big difference between the west wing staff and us though is that our power doesn't come from having an cool title or influential job, it comes directly from the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:11 says that "The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.."
When others come into contact with us, they come into contact with Jesus. This happens whether we recognise it and feel it or not because it's not something we have to work up, he just lives in us. It's liberating to know that God isn't relying on my ability to effect people. But he is simply relying on me to be around others so that His spirit can work through me.

Its not big personalities that make the biggest difference in God's kingdom, its ordinary people like you and me. Margaret Mead said this, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever does."

Also, although hopefully our 'term in office' is going to be a lot longer than 365 days, we too have a limited window of opportunity to effect as many people as possible and help them to know God. The bible promises that those who turn to Jesus don't just get 'full on life' while here on earth, He also promises that we will be with him for eternity. Now eternity is hard to get your head around at the best of times, but I sometimes find it easy to think of it like a never-ending ball of string. I imagine giving one end of the ball to someone and legging it to see how far I can go before it ends. Of course it never does because it's never ending! I could fly round the world over and over and over again and it would still keep going. However, my time here on earth isn't never-ending. In fact to compare it to eternity, it would be like getting a microscope and shaving off the tiniest amount of string. Even though it may be tiny in comparison, the amazing thing is that during this time I have the opportunity to influence all those I come into contact with so that they too can get to know Jesus and spend the rest of eternity with Him. Once I've gone, so does that opportunity.

I don't know about you but when I think of it like that, I feel like echoing Leo's desire to get past the 'stuff' and to give it everything I've got while I can. How about you?

Come on let's leave it all out on the field.