Counter-Clockwise
Christianity
From this time many of his disciples
turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:66
John’s garden consisted of a broad
spectrum of fruits and vegetables; from tomatoes and peas to banana
and bell peppers; sweet corn and broccoli to melons and potatoes;
acorn squash and Brussel sprouts to zucchini and pole-beans.
Retirement had its privileges; John could spend as much time as he
wanted nurturing each plant, making sure no weeds escaped his notice
of eviction.
One day a passerby stopped to comment
on John’s hard work, “I love to see someone tending their
garden!” he exclaimed. “Those are some of the finest pole-beans I
have ever seen! How do you grow them so tall?”
John, pointing to the bottom of the ten
foot tripod-shaped bean poles, answered, “When the vines first
begin looking for a place to attach their tendrils you have to give
them a hand.” He made animated circular motions, indicating how
he’d woven the vines onto the poles. “But the most important part
is how you wrap them on the poles. You see…” he said,
leaning closer as if to say I’m sharing a great secret, “the
beans will only grow when wrapped in a clockwise direction. If you
wrap them counter-clockwise, the beans not only refuse to grow, they
will die within three days.”
†
John’s statement is true: pole-beans
won’t grow against their nature. They literally get their own
way…or rebel and die.
Many Christians are like John’s
pole-beans; they thrive as long as they get what they want, yet
rebel, leaving Jesus, to die a spiritual death because what He asks
is too hard for them.
Jesus knew he would lose followers, yet
didn’t try to stop them from leaving. He understood that some
people won’t conform to another’s will. Living for Christ
requires our voluntary commitment. Understanding this, Jesus gently
reaches out, and guides us in the most beneficial direction. Whether
He weaves our lives into something beautiful, or we go our own way,
is a choice. Jesus candidly asks, “Will you allow Me to tend your
life? Or will you leave me too?”
Prayer
“I want to be a strong,
healthy servant, Lord. Shape my life, and when I whine about the
bending, help me remember that You know what’s best. In Jesus’
Name, Amen.”
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