GodandMe2theMax

Airplane Repo and Auto Pilot...

 "This is what the Kingdom of God is like.  A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.  All by itself, the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.  As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."  Mark 4:26-29

One of my new favorite tv shows is called "Airplane Repo."  It's a reality tv show, and as the title reveals, it's all about these thrill-seeking guys who make a living re-possessing airplanes whose owners have defaulted on their payments.  They basically "steal" the airplane and then give it back to the financeer.  And to quote Kevin Lacey, one of the guys on the show, "99% of what I do is 100% legal."

The language can be strong, but the situations these guys put themselves into in order for the big pay-off is more than intense.  Once they think they've located the plane that they're looking for, they have to somehow sneak into the hanger where it's being stored.  (All with a camerman on their heels, mind you!)  Then they verify the serial number on the tail to make sure it's the plane their looking for, and fnally they have to locate the log books.  You see, without the log books, the plane's value reduces instantly in half.  Finally, they literally have minutes to perform a check on the airplane to see if its flight worthy - that's not much time to make sure everything works - and then they take off to return the plane to the bank or individual who hired them.

On one episode, after weeks of near misses, the "Airplane Repo" guys found and took possession of a $3 million dollar plane.  The payoff?  $300,000.00  The biggest payoff of their career.  The problem?  Once they got in the air, they realized that the radio controls didn't work.  There was no calling the tower. Auto-pilot wasn't even an option.  They had little fuel, and the pilot told them they literally had five minutes or less to figure out what to do because they were in a high air-traffic area in southern Florida. Within minutes, they would be in a head-on collission with another plane.  

What happened next?  You'll have to go to Discovery Channel and watch for yourself. 

Now, I don't know a lot about Auto-Pilot or how it works.  But I do know the concept.  It's for simple people like me.  Set something in motion, and if the parameters are set correcly, it will work like a charm.  Right?

I think that's why these verses intriguted me this morning.  So many times we preach against letting yourself go on "auto-pilot" as a Christian.  Why?  Because usually when we go on auto-pilot, it's by human design.  We do what we want, caring little for the things of the Lord and caring more about our #1 priority - the ever important ME.  Human auto-pilot always has the parameters not quite set appropriately.

Yet at first glance, these verses seem to give the opposite idea of the whole "auto-pilot" concept as a Christian.  Jesus shares the parable of "the good seed."  In it, the farmer scatters the seed, and it appears that seed does what it's intended to do, without ever being attended to.  It grows into full maturity, and the farmer doesn't know why, because he's never done a thing for the seed except to scatter it on the ground.  

I'll admit it - I'm a bit hard-headed.  (OK, maybe more than a bit.)  And I'm a simple thinker.  So when I read this the first time, it sure seemed to me like Jesus was saying that some seeds (baby Christians) grow in the Lord, just like they are supposed to - almost like they are on "auto-pilot."  And the end result?  They reach full maturity.  

Simple concept, right?  

No, not exactly.

Now, I've been a Christian a long time.  And that whole concept just doesn't jive.  Everything I've learned tells me that living the Christian life and growing in maturity takes discipline.  I have to work at it.  (Not to be confused with working FOR it!  My eternal destiny is settled, and it was settled at the point that I committed my life to Christ and put my faith and trust in Him!)  But the point is that I can't just go on auto-pilot and expect to eventually be a mature Christian.  

When something doesn't make sense to me, I don't just accept it at face-value and move on.  I need to understand.  And I just couldn't grasp this whole concept of how a seed, paralelled to a baby Christian, could sprout and grow and reach the point of maturity, all without the farmer even knowing how or why. I knew there was something I was missing.

So I read the passage again.  I re-read.  I read a third and fourth time.  Yes, I know, I'm hard-headed, I've admitted that already!  It wasn't until I sat and typed out each word of the parable that it hit me. The seed itself had nothing to do with the growth and maturity in the story.  The farmer had nothing to do with it.  What produced the crop?  It was the soil.  It was only when the seed was firmly established in the soil that the seed was nurtured to achieve its purpose.  

Read it again - A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.  All by itself, the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.  As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.

The only thing the seed did was to stay planted in the soil, and the natural outcome was that the seed flourished and grew into its intended purpose.  And what is my soil?  It's Jesus Christ.  My job is to grow into the person that the Lord wants me to be by keeping myself firmly planted and established in Him. There is no auto-pilot in this formula.  In fact, if I don't have constant communication with the control tower, just like the Airplane Repo episode I mentioned earlier, I would crash and burn.

Aren't you thankful God redeems us?  Aren't you thankful He provides fertile soil for us to grow, and when we go on auto-pilot, he still possesses us and doesn't re-possess (give us back to the original owner)?  I know I sure am!  I'm also quite thankful for the flight plans and log book He gives me in His word.  

My challenge for today:  Guard against going on auto-pilot.  Be disciplined daily to keep nyself firmly planted in the fertile soil of Jesus.  Read my Log Book and Flight Plan daily.  Change the oil (confess!) Stay fueled up for the unknown trip ahead.  And just like the seed, grow into the person God created me to be.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

The Choke Hold...

"The farmer sows the word.  Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear it, satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
Others, like seed sown n rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life,
the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word,
making it unfruitful.  Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it,
and produce a crop --thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown."
Mark 4:14-20 

 

I'll admit it.  When I was a teenager, I was a "Big-Time Wrestling" fan.  I could cite stats on Hulk Hogan, Jake the Snake Roberts, Sergeant Slaughter, Andre the Giant (and a host of others) on demand and sometimes faster than Vince McMahon.  (Only a real fan knows that Hulk Hogan's real name is Terry Gene Bollea...and I knew that long before Al Gore invented the internet or reality TV arrived on the scene.) When I say I was a fan, I mean I was a die-hard fan.  I watched every match, hoping one of my favorite wrestlers would be up next.  

I went to some live matches, too.  I touched Hulk Hogan's shoulder once. He shook his sweat on me as he walked by.  I had Hulkamania posters on my wall; I had a Hulk Hogan "Stretch-Armstrong" doll. You get the idea?  I loved watching WWF wrestling.  No one could convince me it was fake.  Sure, I could see that might be a very slight outside possibility, but I wanted to believe it was real, and therefore, I did. 

Well, thankfully, I've matured a little, and that chapter of my life's obsession is now over.  But in those days, a common wrestling move was called "The Choke Hold."  Real fans also knew it as "The Sleeper." You can probably imagine what it looks like.  One wrestler wraps his arm around the other wrestler's throat until oxygen is seemingly cut off from the brain, causing them to pass out.  (Or at least appear as such.)  

As I read this passage in Mark this morning, I couldn't help but think of "The Choke Hold".  

How many times are we challenged (convicted) by something in the sermon on Sunday, but by Monday, we can't even remember what the sermon was about?  Why is that?  It's because satan's ultimate goal is to put that "choke hold" on Christians.  He can't win the match, and he knows that, but he wants to put the moves on us to make us immobile for the cause of Christ, so he uses the distractions of life to do just that.  

Take a look at verses 18-19:  "...still others hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."

Now, as you probably know, I have a brown thumb.  I have but one plant, and it's one that I'm told you just can't kill.  It was given to me by my boss when I was in the hospital with my 2nd cancer surgery, and it's very special to me.  But aside from that one amazingly still green and growing item in my home, no other plant exists.  My sweet neighbor keeps telling me in her adorable Indian accent, "Beth.  I will teach you."  I just giggle at her and shake my head.  You see, Ankita can try to teach me all she wants, but a horticulturist I will never be.  

A sports fan, though, yes!  That is me.  And sports analogies just work better with my tom-boy, 3-brother/no sister brain.  So when I read this passage, I don't think about the farmer and the seed; I think about a sports event - and in this case - a wrestling ring.  (I don't know why they call it a ring, anyway.  It's very clearly a square, don't you think?)

We are truly in a wrestling match with satan. His one and only goal is to put us out of commission, to put the "choke hold" on us.  The sleeper.  After all, what good are we for Christ when we are just doing nothing?  What good are we when we're distracted by the worries of life and things of the world?  Absolutely no good.  And satan knows it.

But as I thought this through and contemplated the whole scenario and satan's evil tactics, I remembered scenes from yesteryear.  Perhaps you've seen the images as well.  Do you ever remember watching one of those WWF matches and seeing one of the underdog wrestlers just about get beat to a pulp when out of nowhere comes another wrestler to his rescue?  Usually it's one of the really popular ones who has come to stop the slaughter - to be the savior of the day.  Well isn't that what God will do for us?  But the truth is, our tag-team partner Jesus Christ is right there the whole time.  He doesn't have to make an illegal move onto the mat to come to our rescue.  All we have to do is call on Him for help!  At the mention of His name the demons tremble, and the choke-hold is released.

I often wonder how many times I put the choke-hold on myself.  I allow fear to immobilze me from taking a step of faith.  Sure, satan is right there whispering in my ear telling me I'm not good enough, telling me I'm a nobody, telling me to not try because it's a worthless cause.  And it's at that point that I have to realize who is speaking more strongly in my ear.  Satan or Jesus Christ.  Who will I listen to?  Who is King?  And who is the all-time, undisputed, undefeated, reigning champion?  Is it a belly-wallowing serpant?  Or is it the King of Kings who defeated the grave and sin? 

And just like the wrestler, down on two knees, almost ready to concede finds the strength to stand, to defeat the opponent, and to claim the victory in Jesus Name...
Not by might, not by power, but by His spirit, Victory is gained and the choke-hold is broken.

Until the next match.

Be sober, be vigilent, he is walking around looking for people to devour.

 

 --- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Discovery #1 - Jesus sometimes pushes us right into the eye of the storm...

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat
and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  Matthew 14:22

Discovery Channel.  It takes you inside the wildest, most amazing, and craziest phenomena in the world.  Take some time to go read Matthew 14:22-33.  It's the age-old story of Peter walking on the water, taking his eyes off Jesus, then sinking, and I dare say that if the Discovery Channel were in existence in Biblical times, whoever got that on film would have won some serious photo-journalism awards.

I always refer to good ole Peter subconsciously as the "open mouth-insert foot” disciple of the New Testament.  Maybe it’s because I relate to him so well.  I often have good intentions, my motives are pure, but sometimes my flippant mouth gets me in trouble.  Maybe you can relate?  I’m sure I can’t be the only one with a tendency to speak first and think later….

Well, in passing during our Life Group on Sunday, we discussed the story of Jesus (and Peter for a short time) walking on water.  The comment was made that everyone faults Peter because he took his eyes off Jesus and became afraid, thus failing at his quest to walk to Jesus.  But the truth is, Peter was the only one who had faith enough to step out of the boat.  He heard Jesus’ voice, confirmed it was Him talking, and then Peter took the first step of faith.  Granted, he got scared and started to sink, but the fact remains that none of the other disciples even stepped out of the boat in faith.

This morning as I sat down to have my quiet time, I decided to re-visit this old story and see if God has any new truths for me to see.  I think personal discovery is one of the coolest things about how God speaks today.  I love how I can read a passage (maybe even something I’ve read and known about since I was a kid) and then discover God in a fresh way...just by looking and asking Him to show me what He wants me to learn.  That’s kind of how I feel about this passage after studying it again.  When I finished writing about all God was showing me, the "blog" turned into way too many paragraphs for a blog, and my husband (who is always chastising me for being too wordy) would have my head if I actually put it all into one blog.  

So over the next few days, I'm going to focus on a few of my discoveries.  Discoveries to me, anyway.  I'm sure they're not profound; I've never claimed to be a scholar...just someone who is always looking for Jesus in the every day and ordinary.  And to be honest, my little "discoveries" - I"m quite sure they're not new.  But nonetheless, they are new and fresh to me. 

Right off the bat, the first thing I discovered was that verse 22 says “Jesus made the disciples get into the boat.”  Some versions say He compelled them.  He bade them to get in the boat. Did you catch that?  In other words, "they got told."  It wasn't a choice. 

I find that so interesting.  Of course Jesus knew the disciples were about to go into a storm.  Hello!  He’s God!  But even with this knowledge, He sent them directly into the would-be rough waters.  Can you relate?  How many times in your life have you known you’re exactly where God wants you, yet you’re going through some pretty time times?  Just like He did with the disciples, God knows about that storm.  He knew about it before you went into it, and He’s big enough to get you through it.  Maybe even like the disciples, He gave you the push-off to head right into the storm, leaving you scratching your head trying to understand why. 

Can you just picture Jesus at the shore with the disciples in the boat, giving that final shove to push them on their way?  “Have a great trip!   I’ll see you in a little while!”  Smiling.  Waving goodbye.  "Bon Voyage!”  I wonder what went through Jesus’ mind as He gave that final push, as He said goodbye to them, knowing exactly where they were headed.  Oh to know the mind of Christ! 

We all know this fact: Nothing takes Jesus by surprise. 

{Sidebar.  Can I rant for thirty seconds?  And if you read fast, it will be even less!  It drives me crazy, and I mean totally crazy when someone will tell me, “God’s got this.”  It’s kind of my little hot button...well, one of them anyway.  My mind starts to spin.  Maybe it's because I find it insulting that someone feels the need to tell me that.  Really?  I know He’s got this…you don’t need to remind me!  That's elementary, my dear Watson!  That little expression is so overused today, and it’s said so flippantly that it drives me crazy.  End sidebar.} 

OK, I feel better now.  Thank you.  Hopefully you were a fast reader and didn't have to endure too much of my ranting.

You see, the real problem is NOT that we don’t know that "God’s got this."  It's not that I don't realize "God's got this."  The real problem is the transfer of knowledge from the head to the heart.  Everything fits together nicely and neatly in our mind, but when it comes to reconciling that rational part with our emotional heart, well, that's where the conflict is.  The transfer of control of the mind's peace,  to rest in the knowledge that we stand on, well, that is the difficult part of going through a storm. 

So Jesus pushed the disciples off into the boat with full knowledge of what was to come.  And that’s exactly what He does with us.  Sometimes we’re exactly in His will, doing exactly what He’s asked us, and we still go head on into turbulance.  Trials in life are not always because we’ve sinned or made a bad choice. Sometimes it’s just because that’s what God’s plan is for us.

I don't know why I've never noticed this little detail before about Jesus making the disciples get into the boat.  When you think about it, it's actually not a "little" detail at all.  It sets the stage for everything that is to come.  It should be flashing at me "TAKE NOTICE!!!"  Yet, I've never heard a sermon preached on it.  When I've read the passage before, it never "jumped out at me."  I totally missed it all these years.

And so that's my Discovery #1.  Jesus sometimes pushes us right into the eye of the storm.  Stay tuned for more.  Or better yet, go Discover for yourself and look for what God wants to say to you.

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Moments of Greatness...

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  "
II Corinthians 3:18

 

Moments of Greatness.  If you’re a Cowboys fan like me, that’s the one phrase that can describe them this year...at least so far.  They are 2-2, and it’s been rather frustration.  They have the talent to win.  They have moments of greatness, followed by moments of pure pathetic athletic exhibition.

I started to think about that phrase this morning.  I cannot help but wonder if God views me sometimes with the same frustration and disappointment that I view my Cowboys (yes, despite their poor performance on Monday Night Football yesterday, they are still MY team).  You see, I’m a fan for life.  I love them when they’re bad, and I love them more when they’re good, but I still love them, nonetheless.  I’m not a fair weather fan who jumps off the bandwagon when they don’t act like the team I know they can be. 

Think about Abraham.  He had moments of greatness – pure genius, actually.  Then he had some moments that we read about and just scratch our heads saying, “What was he thinking?”  Consider the journey he made up Mount Moriah, knowing he didn’t have a lamb to sacrifice on the alter, knowing he had with him only his one son, the promised one, the child through whom God promised to make Abraham a great nation.  His faith did not waiver, at least not that we can see.  He only told Isaac, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”  God did provide, and Abraham is mentioned in Hebrews 11 because of his faith.

Then there’s those other moments in Abraham’s life – well, let’s just call them Cowboys moments.  Moments you’d rather forget than remember.  I have to just scratch my head as I read about Abraham denying Sarah as his wife not once, but twice?  In Genesis 12 and in Genesis 20, he told people “She is my sister.”  Hello!  I’m sure God was looking at him just shaking his head, much like a true Dallas Cowboys fan would have done last night.  God didn’t jump off the bandwagon in His love for Abraham or abandon His promise to Abraham though, in spite of the lacking "moment of greatness." 

And so bringing it full circle, what about those “moments of greatness” with me, spiritually?  What about you?  When the game is over, what evaluation will God the ultimate Coach say?  Will His commentary go something like this:  “Beth Banfill – at times, you showed moments of greatness as you reflected Me to a dying world, but then there were times I just shook my head in disbelief at how you played the game.  I mean, what were you thinking?"

So before we start hating on the Cowboys today, let’s remember we all have those moments of  greatness, just like Tony Romo last night.  Sure, he threw 5 interceptions in one game for the 2nd time in his career, but who's counting, right?  He's also holds some of the top stats for a Dallas quarterback, even though he doesn't even have a SuperBowl ring.  It’s a good reminder to me today that even though people aren’t watching my life lived out on Monday Night Football, there very well could be people watching my every move, evaluating if my walk is matching my talk.  And most importantly, my Coach and Best Friend is there with me each step of the way.  As the great Tom Landry once said, “A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”   Isn’t the Holy Spirit exactly that to Christians?  He convicts of sin.  Asks me to change my game plan, even though I may not want to.  And why?  So I can have those moments of greatness for Him…and hopefully as I grow, there will be more than just a few fleeting moments.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Grabbing God on the Go...

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
Matthew 11:28

 

Julie Moss.  Not exactly a household name.  Probably most reading this blog have no idea who she is, so let me share her story.  I remember watching ABC sports in 1982 as they showed Julie’s story.  She was participating in the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.  This triathlon consists first of a 2.4 mile swim, an 11.2 mile bike ride, and if that isn’t enough, it culminates with a 26.2 mile run – a full marathon.  Julie was in the final leg of the marathon, and she was in the lead.  But a few hundred yards from the finish line, Julie’s legs and body gave out.  No longer could she run to cross the finish line.  In fact, she didn’t even have the strength to walk to it.  Now with just yards from the finish line, the 2^nd place competitor Kathleen McCartney overtook Julie Moss for the lead and went on to win.  But Julie didn’t quit even though her body was shutting down.  Each forward step resulted in her falling to the ground, yet Julie was determined to finish.  On hands and knees, Julie moss crawled to the finish line.  The images are forever written in my mind. 

Why is Julie Moss important today?  Well, in our ABF class this morning, we were talking about the times in our life when God wants us to “be still.”  My husband Frank is our teacher, and he mentioned in passing how our lives are so busy, it’s like we’re a marathon runner.  What happens when they need to be hydrated?  Do they stop and take a break, or do they keep going?  No, they don’t stop, at least never  by choice. As they pass someone along the sidelines of the race, they get handed a Gatorade or a bottle of water.  They drink it or even pour it on themselves, throw the remains on the ground behind them, and they keep running.  They keep going, and they don’t stop. 

Then Frank stopped and said, “How many times do we approach God like that?  How many times do we grab God on the go?”  I started to visualize that concept.  In truth, it’s a profound thought, and he told me later that he had just thought of it ‘on the fly.’  (He’s pretty incredible, that husband of mine!)  Think about it.  How many times do we guzzle God down, as quickly as we can, try to get some spiritual replenishment (at least enough to help us last until the next water pick-up)? How many times do we try to fit Him into our life’s marathon instead of taking time on the sidelines to replenish?

 I sat there with my mind whirling on this subject the rest of the morning in class and honestly, it consumed my thoughts throughout the church service.  My husband had just described my life’s race for the last few weeks and until today, what it would have looked like for about the next month.  I’ve been guilty of “grabbing God on the go”.  Now, some might argue that at least I’m taking time to grab Him, and I would agree with that argument.  Some is always better than none.  But in my heart of hearts, I know I’ve not been taking enough time on the sidelines to be replenished. 

What exactly does "replenish” mean, anyway?  It means "to fill something that had previously been emptied.  Did you get that?  To FILL what had been EMPTIED.  Replenish does not mean to take a few gulps of water so you don’t suffer from dehydration along the way.  It doesn’t mean to add $2 worth of gas to your gas tank when you’re already on empty with the warning light on.  No, that won’t get you very far, especially with the cost of gas these days!  To be filled, I have to be emptied.  Emptied of myself.  My pride.  My agenda.  My busy-ness.  Emptied so that God can replenish and fill me up so much that I can’t be filled “no more!”

This morning, God convicted me that I’ve not been allowing Him to replenish me.  I’ve been running on empty, trying to get by with just a buck of gas in my tank each day.  But that’s not His plan.  He wants me to sit down, shut up, and stop moving long enough for Him to replenish me. He wants me to just find rest in Him. He wants me to take a break from this marathon of life and drink me up some God-Gatorade.  (Yes, I know, that’s not very good use of the English language; just consider it used for the sake of emphasis!)

Now, you know me.  I’m not a runner.  I run to the kitchen.  I run to the bathroom.  I might even run up the stairs to catch the ringing phone, but that’s where my running usually stops.  However, on a regular basis, my schedule runs me, and as of late, it’s been running me completely ragged.  The funny thing is that I really believe God is using me in ways that I never dreamed possible, just by me being available to Him.  But the problem is that as Christians, we can get involved too much in ‘doing and serving’ that we neglect our own relationship with the Lord.  What good am I to the body of Christ if I'm not spiritually healthy myself?

As I was checking to make sure my facts were correct for this blog, I found out that Julie Moss had never even trained for that Ironman Triathlon.  She was a college student who participated in the event as part of her research for her exercise physiology thesis.  Certainly, Julie Moss is an inspirational story, one of great determination and perseverance.  Yet, I can’t help but wonder if she had actually trained and conditioned herself, maybe even if she would have just taken some time to stop along that 26.2 mile run to replenish, maybe just maybe, things would be different.  Perhaps she would be remembered for winning that triathlon instead of crawling across the finish line on hands and knees. 

I don't know about you, but when the finish line is in sight, I don’t want to be crawling on hands and knees to make it.  Like Kathleen McCartney, the winner of that Ironman Triathlon, I want to make the right moves along the race to run to the finish line, not just make it there crawling.  For that to be true, the “grabbing God on the go” must end.  No more guzzling Him down while I'm running my race, leaving the scraps on the ground behind me.  I've been running on fumes, and I'm so thankful God chose to use a little unplanned comment to drive home a big life lesson for me today on being replenished with some God-Gatorade.

 

Renew me, Lord, as I run this race.
Break through me, Lord, occupy each space.
Remind me, Lord, to take time to rest.
Replete me, Lord, so I’m at my best.

 

PS - A short video of Julie’s Ironman completion can be found at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbWsQMabczM

 

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Shark Tank

Ephesians 2:10  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

ABC has a reality television show called "Shark Tank."  The "sharks" consist of five multi-millionaires who listen to various entrepreneurs pitch their product in hopes to have one or more of the "sharks" invest in it.  This last week, an entrepreneur was on the show pitching his invention "Wakin' Bacon."  According to his research, one of the top things people want to wake up to is the smell of bacon.  "Wakin' Bacon" is a pig-shaped alarm clark that actually heats up pre-cooked bacon, timing the morning alarm with the aroma of freshly cooked bacon. 

Each shark has an opportunity to ask questions, make an offer to invest in the product, or decide they're "out."  When it came time for the "Wakin' Bacon" decisions, each shark, one by one for obvious reasons, said, "I'm out."  That is, until one of the newest sharks, Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, had the floor.  He paused.  He hesitated.  The other sharks started to question his sanity in even considering to invest in such a product.  They started to egg him, "You gotta be kidding me, Mark.  What are you going to do when the first one catches on fire in the middle of the night?  What's the value of the business going to be then?" 

Mark finally broke his silence.  "I know how to get insurance.  I'm  not worried about that liability. "  He then went on to say, "The probability that people will actually use this product once after buying it is perhaps 10%.  The probability that people will use this product a second time after they buy it is 0%.  It's a novelty item.  People will buy it because it's so stupid."  Eventually, however, Mark finally said he was "out." 

Now, to be an entrepreneur on the Shark Tank, you've gotta have some thick skin.  Really thick skin.   How would you like to hear someone tell you this invention that you've put your blood, sweat, and tears into and believe is going to be "the next biggest thing" is a complete and utter joke?  Even more, how would you feel if you were told it should be used in a manner differently than what you intended?  Ouch.  The "Wakin' Bacon" designer took the rejection like a man and walked away from the Shark Tank empty handed, without any partners or investors.  Big shocker there, ey?

Being an entrepreneur myself, I couldn't help but put myself in the feet of the "Makin' Bacon" inventor.  This guy believed so much in his product that he endured public humiliation.  He stuck to his guns and couldn't stand the idea of his product being used for what something other than he intended it.  I thought about that, and then I thought about the relationship between Jesus our Creator and us.  Are we not His prized possessions, His special creations?   Now certainly, I'm not comparing mankind to some crazy bacon alarm clock, ok?  It's the principle of the creator and creation and being used for the purpose intended. 

Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  We are God's beautiful masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for what?  To do good works!  Now let's be clear.  Good works do not get us to heaven.  Just back up a few verses to clear up that one.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says it's by grace we are saved through faith, and it's not of ourselves, it's the gift of God....not works.  When Jesus died on the cross and rose the third day, He conquered sin and death and made a way for us to get to heaven.  He did the job.  End of subject.  We only need to commit our life to Him, ask Him to forgive us of our sin and take control.  But the natural bi-product of our faith in Christ is good works. 

So let me ask, what are you doing to be used the way the Master Inventor intended?  Are you serving?  What are you doing in your church?  If you're attending church every week and just sitting there, are you producing good works?  What about outside your church in your community?  Are people seeing the hands and feet of Jesus through your good works and acts of service? 

Or, have we decided to take a Mark Cuban novelty approach with our life?  Have we decided to take a left turn and change the way God intended our lives to be?  The choice is ours.  Serve or sit?  Self or others?  God has called us to live a life of service that produces good works because of our love for Him.  What will your decision be in the Shark Tank?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com