Counter-Clockwise Christianity
August 7
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.”
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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, prepared to guide 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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