It's about 1972. Since my family will be leaving town tomorrow, a few days before Christmas break, my fourth grade teacher calls me up in front of the class to pick out a present from our class gift exchange. There had been no spending limit imposed on this exchange. I begin walking around this previously unmolested stash, shaking each gift while friends coach me on what might be inside of them (based on sound and size). Everyone's urging me to pick the present that they brought. This is cool. Then Brian blurts out that his parents' contribution was an AFX race set, that it was in the big package located at the back of the tree... and suddenly everyone wants me to pick that one.
So maybe you're out of the loop. Do I have to mention that in the pre-digital age an AFX Electronic Race set was absolutely THE ULTIMATE gift? The sounds, the electrical sparks, the trigger controls, the track lay-outs, the thrill of the race, the smell of burning electronics, the cars tail-whipping around the corners and occasionally flying off into the walls... I'd probably still play with one if I had one.
Our teacher throws me a curve by saying something like this: "Steve, you know... sometimes the most valuable gifts come in the smallest packages." I honestly give that some thought, but more than that, I think it's unfair to take such an awesome gift that noone else will get a chance at. And I must be thinking this out loud, because I hear Brian again: "Don't worry about it. Someone's going to get it anyway. C'mon, take the race set!"
Instead, I decide to be nice and choose the smallest package I can find under the class tree. Then I begin to open it in front of the class (as directed), hoping that it will be something really cool or really valuable, just like my teacher had said. I take a moment to admire what I find inside. I demonstrate to the class how one of the pieces moves, say thanks to the gift giver and return to my desk... greatly disappointed. The gift I'd received was a pencil box with a sliding cover - worth about a dollar by today's standards.
But the real story of that day wasn't about me. It was about Mike. He came up after class and said, "I can't believe you chose my present over Brian's!" He'd been ashamed that he had nothing better to give, suffering his own turmoil about what would happen when someone finally "got stuck" with his present, but was now in a state of awe and joy appropriate to a fourth grader experiencing this unexpected turn of events.
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Let's try to translate the above into church terms. You're probably aware of some "AFX" churches out there; maybe there are even some near you. They have everything that anyone could ever want, and they make you feel ashamed of your little "pencil box" church.
Don't be ashamed. Be expectant.
God has a habit of seeking out the small and unimportant - the pencil boxes - in order to showcase His glory. Why? Let me give you four good reasons. 1) Because it gets people's attention. It awakens them to a different set of values than what the world normally follows, just as my unusual choice in the class gift exchange did for my classmates. 2) Because it's clear Who should get the credit when great things begin to happen in these unlikely places. 3) Because those who have no strength of their own and no confidence in their own abilities will be much more likely to rely upon God and obey Him when He attempts to lead them forward. Have no doubt: God would rather begin with a humble pencil box church that wants to be transformed than get stuck with a self-satisfied AFX church that's unresponsive to His promptings. 4) Because it makes us feel like Mike! And by the way, God's not disappointed like I was; He knows exactly what He's getting ahead of time when He chooses your little pencil box.
Am I being simplistic? You bet. Simply put, your "pencil box" is a candidate for God's glory! We'll add other considerations later, but for now, praise God for this simple truth.
1 Cor 1:27-29, 31 "God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God... so that, just as it is written, 'LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.'" ...not in their own efforts, strategies, use of resources, etc., but simply in Him.
So maybe you're out of the loop. Do I have to mention that in the pre-digital age an AFX Electronic Race set was absolutely THE ULTIMATE gift? The sounds, the electrical sparks, the trigger controls, the track lay-outs, the thrill of the race, the smell of burning electronics, the cars tail-whipping around the corners and occasionally flying off into the walls... I'd probably still play with one if I had one.
Our teacher throws me a curve by saying something like this: "Steve, you know... sometimes the most valuable gifts come in the smallest packages." I honestly give that some thought, but more than that, I think it's unfair to take such an awesome gift that noone else will get a chance at. And I must be thinking this out loud, because I hear Brian again: "Don't worry about it. Someone's going to get it anyway. C'mon, take the race set!"
Instead, I decide to be nice and choose the smallest package I can find under the class tree. Then I begin to open it in front of the class (as directed), hoping that it will be something really cool or really valuable, just like my teacher had said. I take a moment to admire what I find inside. I demonstrate to the class how one of the pieces moves, say thanks to the gift giver and return to my desk... greatly disappointed. The gift I'd received was a pencil box with a sliding cover - worth about a dollar by today's standards.
But the real story of that day wasn't about me. It was about Mike. He came up after class and said, "I can't believe you chose my present over Brian's!" He'd been ashamed that he had nothing better to give, suffering his own turmoil about what would happen when someone finally "got stuck" with his present, but was now in a state of awe and joy appropriate to a fourth grader experiencing this unexpected turn of events.
________________
Let's try to translate the above into church terms. You're probably aware of some "AFX" churches out there; maybe there are even some near you. They have everything that anyone could ever want, and they make you feel ashamed of your little "pencil box" church.
Don't be ashamed. Be expectant.
God has a habit of seeking out the small and unimportant - the pencil boxes - in order to showcase His glory. Why? Let me give you four good reasons. 1) Because it gets people's attention. It awakens them to a different set of values than what the world normally follows, just as my unusual choice in the class gift exchange did for my classmates. 2) Because it's clear Who should get the credit when great things begin to happen in these unlikely places. 3) Because those who have no strength of their own and no confidence in their own abilities will be much more likely to rely upon God and obey Him when He attempts to lead them forward. Have no doubt: God would rather begin with a humble pencil box church that wants to be transformed than get stuck with a self-satisfied AFX church that's unresponsive to His promptings. 4) Because it makes us feel like Mike! And by the way, God's not disappointed like I was; He knows exactly what He's getting ahead of time when He chooses your little pencil box.
Am I being simplistic? You bet. Simply put, your "pencil box" is a candidate for God's glory! We'll add other considerations later, but for now, praise God for this simple truth.
1 Cor 1:27-29, 31 "God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God... so that, just as it is written, 'LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.'" ...not in their own efforts, strategies, use of resources, etc., but simply in Him.
3 comments:
Thank you!!!!! You can't even imagine what this has meant tonight! Definitely not too simplistic! By the way, until about three years ago - Rob had AFX sets - multiple! We sold them on Ebay! Gotta love Ebay!!!!
That's great - clearly a man after my own heart! By the way, your gentle prod several weeks ago helped get me back on track to start writing. Thanks!
Please keep writing. I know it's hard to fit it in, and the original intention may not fit anymore, but your wisdom & the way you express it is always appreciated!
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