Letting go of lesser things
A toddler has a penny clenched in his chubby little fist. Kneeling down to his level is a well-dressed gentleman, holding a cheque for a million pounds, made out in the child’s name. It’s clear to see the child is not interested, much happier with the small coin, oblivious to the great riches that are being offered to him. He has no intention of letting go of his little treasure for anything.
As adults, our treasures may be more valuable than a penny, but our struggles to let go are no easier. In fact, sometimes it is what we most value that is the very thing God is asking us to let go. Take Abraham, for example. In Genesis 22, God tells him to take his son Isaac, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him for a burnt offering. If you’re at all familiar with the story, you’ll know how precious Isaac was to Abraham. He was a long-awaited son, the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, the one through whom God would make of Abraham a great nation. For Abraham to offer up his greatest treasure was going to be costly. It was going to hurt, more than we can imagine.
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Promise. There’s something very special about the word. We use it often, right throughout our lives, in many situations. Little Peter could be promised a reward for behaving at Great-Aunt Edith’s house, Sally might whisper some secret to her best friend Tessa as long as Tessa promises not to tell anyone, and Jimmy will present a gorgeous diamond ring to Jenny as a promise that he’s going to marry her.
I have loved thee with an everlasting love… (Jeremiah 31:3)
Every day she asked. Day after day after day. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just do what she wanted? Why keep saying no all the time?
Waiting. We all know what it’s like, whether simply standing in a queue in a supermarket, or waiting for a phone call, the bride’s arrival at a wedding, results of a medical test, acceptance to a school or job… On most occasions, we know that our waiting will, sooner or later, come to an end. Other times, we don’t know if what we’re waiting for will ever come to pass. We pray, crying to God day after day, but nothing happens. We don’t understand the delay. Wouldn’t what we’re praying for help us to live better lives for God?
Being a teenager is hard! Home life can be hard – maybe you and your parents don’t quite see eye to eye on some issues. School life can be hard – all the exams and study, pressure from teachers, or maybe there’s a classmate who gives you a tough time. Social life can be hard – both online and in the real world – who doesn’t feel the pressure of wanting to fit in? And on top of it all, you’re having to make choices you’ve maybe never faced before.
What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘follow’? The dictionary says that ‘to follow’ is ‘to go or come after.’ I suspect, however, that as teens and young people, you’re more likely to associate it with forms of social media like Snapchat and Instagram!