Ever wondered…
- Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
- Why do banks charge a fee on “insufficient funds” when they know there is not enough?
- Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
All jokes aside, with the roller-coaster of experiences in life, our sense of wonder in life, in God and in general can start to fade.
The WOW factor of life.
The ability to be fascinated by things and learn from them, or simply appreciate them and give thanks.
Time has a way of changing things. Changing us. Depending on the decisions we make, time can teach us and leave us better, or time can be brutal and harden us.
I want to help re-ignite, or simply fan the flame of your sense of wonder today and look at some ways we can do that.
- Pour out the wine.
Matthew 9:16
16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
- Have a look around the context of these verses. Either side it’s penned in with ‘new wine’ playing out as they spoke!
I will simply list the titles the Bible collaborators have used for each story:
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
Matthew the Tax Collector
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
Two Blind Men Healed
A Mute Man Speaks
The Compassion of Jesus
All of these stories represented here scream out, “NEW WINE!”
What happened to the days when we were flexible enough to move with the will of God? To allow ourselves to believe all things really were possible?
- Awaken the Inner Child
Matt 18 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
What are some of the characteristics of children?
- Believe what you tell them
- Innocence
- Trust
- IMAGINATION!
Not speaking of being immature: 1 Cor 13:11 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
- So the transition from child to adult is speaking of the right application of knowledge and experience.
Is it possible to keep the other traits of a child and yet also gain from the years of knowledge and experience?
I say yes.
- Instead of growing from our experiences we can tend to pull back and put up walls. The same walls that keep out disappointment, keeps out happiness as well.
- Learn to Read
What you see with Jesus is that He was a master at reading people and His surroundings.
- Read what you SEE. Take the time to take it in.
- Read what you HEAR. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Actually listen.
- Read what you FEEL. Your own emotions and other’s. When was the last time you actually thought about the way you react in certain situations?
- Become aware of your surroundings and what goes on in your daily life.
- Keep a journal. Reflect on your days.
- Read the Word of God. Find out the exercises that we need to be doing.
- Through prayer we are strengthened. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Not go out and reach the lost or feed the poor… First build YOURSELVES up.
- Why? Otherwise you will be an old wine bottle full of old wine gathering dust on the shelf.
Pour yourself out for others to experience the depth of your relationship with God. Flavour from the depth of the well that has been dug in your life.
- Pour yourself out into another vessel, let them taste the flavour of your life. Can a full cup hold more? Yes! But it must be poured out first to receive the refreshing!
Negative experiences are a part of life, we cannot avoid them. There is pain. There is the loss of a loved one. There is the betrayal of someone close to you. How can we not let them affect us? No, they have to affect us. We have to let them affect us otherwise we will be flavourless.
But what happens is we put up walls so that we don’t get hurt either to protect ourselves or those around us. The same walls that we put up to keep out the pain will keep out true joy and lasting happiness. You’re not letting anyone in or letting anyone get close again.
- Me and my wife are classic examples – A betrayed husband and a long time single mum. It’s our choices that define us, not our life situation.
Two words that I want you take away from this message if you forget everything else:
But God…
Genesis 50:20
(Joseph) But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me.
These words will set you on the path from stagnation to fascination. You can restore the fascination in your life. The wonder.
When we become consciously fascinated, and add, ‘BUT GOD’, to our daily situations, our life begins to change again.
We have all had bad, negative, painful experiences in life… BUT GOD…
- Pour out the wine – Share. 2. Awaken the inner child – Trust. 3. Learn to Read the good & the bad in yourself and others.
Things happen…
…But God…
Be blessed & be a blessing,
Graham