Last week was eventful to say the least...

Sunday due to an apparent power surge a video projector and laptop were rendered useless except for the door stops. So the quest is on to see if they can be repaired and how much that will cost and is that the best value and as of yesterday throw in insurance coverage with its requirements. That makes me frustrated.

Insurance companies are in business to make money. You make more when you reduce costs (pay out as little as possible). I understand that but it still frustrates me. I typically have a preaching plan for several weeks if not months. My plan ran out so I have been looking for inspiration as to speaking this Sunday. That is frustrating.

Frustration is the key. It occurred to me that frustration is nothing more than a symptom of selfishness. I am frustrated because I didn’t get what I wanted the way I wanted it. That’s selfish. That’s what aggravates us about insurance companies. We just want it fixed but they have to protect their investment. That is not what I want, frustration. I contend that is our natural state, selfishness. We don’t teach toddlers to be selfish. We teach them to share. Don’t we? Selfishness is the sin. All the others boil down to that. That is why it is so hard to overcome.

Thursday and Friday I was at a conference called Catalyst. The conference is for leaders in and around the church world. It includes music, video, comedy and some of the rising speakers in the country. The theme was Be Present. Judah Smith lead us in worship by reminding us that Moses asked God to see his glory. No man can see God and live, so God instructs him to hide in the rock. God (see that) would cover him until he passed by and Moses would be allowed to see his back as God passed by. Moses followed instructions and God passed by. As a result the face of Moses glowed for days from a glimpse of God’s glory. He had to cover his face because the people could not stand it. Judah Smith went on to read from John 1:1,14 NIV 1984

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,^[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the complete incarnation of God (as much of the infinite God that can fit in the finite body). Whereas Moses got just a glimpse of God’s back we have the opportunity to see the full glory of God in Jesus full of grace and truth. God complete right here and as a believer now the one who lives through us. Paul tells us “for I am crucified with Christ and yet I live, not I but Christ who lives in me.” God the creator of all in his full glory lives in me and you. Then Judah Smith kicked me in the head when he asked “since when did Jesus cease to be enough?” Did you read that “since when did Jesus cease to be enough?” We just read he is the complete incarnation of the living God but when I’m frustrated he is not enough.

When I’m frustrated, angry, hurt, worried, depressed etc. Jesus is not enough! That means most days I don’t think Jesus is enough. Ugh what a wretch am I. If He is not enough then who is?

Reality check, He is enough!

                   
Last night one of my Life group members said, “If I would just slow down and let Jesus be enough.”  That’s where I live too fast, too much on my plate. That is not how Jesus lived. He never seems to be in a hurry in the Gospels does he?

Let’s “slow down and let Jesus be enough.”