Being a temporary stay at home dad, I am constantly bombarded with more than my daily dose of Veggie Tales.  If you haven’t seen them, they are videos of vegetables telling Bible stories by a couple guys who I am pretty sure love them some Monty Python.  They are great for kids and filled with Scriptures and lots of songs.  Most of the songs are quite random but have a point.  Others are not relevant at all and just fun.  Those tend to be the really catchy ones.

Disclaimer: If you have not been exposed to Silly Songs With Larry (The Dance Of The Cucumber, The Hairbrush Song, Song Of The Cebu, Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, etc.), make sure your brain can handle the I-can’t-get-it-out-of-my-head goodness before you start!

As the family was taking a Veggie Tales break from playing today, one of my wife‘s favorite songs came on.  It’s called God Is Bigger.  But despite the craziness of watching a bunch of cartoon veggies sing about boogie monsters, I started thinking about the point of the song tonight.  They are singing the song to help a little kid get past being scared of things…because God is bigger.

But as adults we forget about these simple little truths sometimes.  The fact is that God is much bigger than our problems.  He is much bigger than the rent check.  He is bigger than the divorce papers.  He is bigger than the economy.  Than elections.  Than dictators.  Than being unemployed.  Than being addicted.  Than should-be-fatal heart attacks.  Recently some friends of ours in the church had first hand experience with this.  He had a heart attack and should have died, but God who is bigger than this attack saved him and his family from the devastation.  They knew from the start that God was bigger.  They didn’t know what the outcome was, but they knew that He could handle it.

Makes me sit here and realize how pathetic my fears are.  I’m not fearing for my life.  I’m dealing with fears that are much smaller.  Yet, I still have times that I struggle with fears.  Good thing my God is bigger than my fears and problems.  Good thing there is a cartoon with singing vegetables to remind me, too!

Everyone who is working in any church is doing so for one main reason.  We do so to see God made known through changed lives.  It all boils down to changed lives.  If God isn’t changing the lives of the people coming, then I would be willing to be we aren’t following His will in it.  That doesn’t mean that 500 people have to become brand new Christians each week (not counting that one person who always has a hand raised to receive Christ).  It could be just one person.  It could be a couple getting their marriage right.  Or maybe one kid seeing the role model that he doesn’t get at home.  However it is taking place, changed lives are what we hope for.

But is seems to me that sometimes we get caught up in the methods of what we think changed lives look like.  It only happens when someone walks down the aisle or when every head is bowed and every eye closed and someone raises their hand or when the salvation prayer is repeated back out loud.  Right?  Well, it seems to me that those are just methods that we have stamped on to the changing of lives.  I don’t ever remember Jesus asking everyone in the room to close their eyes and then if someone wanted to make a decision that they had to make eye contact or raise their hand.  According to John, it doesn’t take any of that.

“It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

John 5:24

All it takes is believing in Him.  A person doesn’t have to stand up and say the words “I believe”.  They don’t have to go down to the front, be anointed with oil and then transfer their membership/transfer papers/letter of intent/resume to be a member of the church.  They just have to believe in the truth of Jesus Christ and put Him in charge.  Doesn’t mean the other things are wrong.  They may be great for each individual church as it may take more commitment or faith or belief or whatever for someone to make that kind of a bold statement.  But all they have to do is believe!  The rest is all well and good, but regardless of what each church’s process is, changed lives happen in the heart and start with believing.

So as you go about your week or your weekend, remember that all it may take is just showing someone the truth of God’s love for us to really change a life.  Maybe you need to change your direction back toward God again.  All you have to do is believe in Him and His truths.  He is there for you.  You don’t have to wait until the next time you are asked a specific question during the invitation time on Sunday that tugs at the heart.  Believe in Him.  He changes lives.

I have a lot on my mind as of late and I really covet your prayers.  I am in new and uncharted waters for me and I’m trying to learn how to deal with them.  

Sunday we sang a couple songs that really hit me.  Yes, I picked the songs, but I didn’t realize at the time that it would be exactly what I needed to do.  We sang about surrendering everything to Christ.  Pretty easy to sing and talk about, but not as easy to do.  Maybe that’s just a testament to my faith.  I have had to put a lot of trust and faith in God the past few years through some rough stuff, but He has always come through for me.  You would think that would be example enough for me to keep my mind from being anxious about things, but apparently I’m human.  This morning as I’m trying to lead people in worship through music, I realized that I was not giving everything over to Christ.  I am still trying to do it on my own.  Don’t get me wrong, I still pray about things, but I think I am still not letting go completely.  That’s what I need to do.  Let go.  

This leads me to the other song that really hit me.  The song Everything Glorious.  The whole point of the song is realizing that He is sooooo much bigger than all of this (whatever this may be for you).  When we finally give everything over to Him, He turns it all in to good.  He turns everything into good for the glory of God.  That’s not always an easy subject to grasp considering that we are human and all struggle with some self-centered thoughts now and again (or more often).

I know that He can and will.  I just have to trust Him and give everything over to Him and let Him do it.  I need to hand it off and step out of the way.  Pray for that.