One of the most challenging things in life is keeping it in balance. It is very easy to get things leaning one way or the other. It reminds me of he game we used to play in the 70-80’s called Tip It? Let’s take a look this week at putting things right, getting our lives back into balance. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have you ever driven a car with the tires out of balance? You know it, the thing is bouncing down the road. The steering wheel vibrates in your hand. It feels like the whole car is going to fall apart at the seams.
When setting up a racecar we look for balance, keeping the car stable and drivable while at the same time going fast. You can drive a car that is out of balance, but not very fast. Achieving balance gives us the best opportunity to win.
How do we get there? We practice, take measurements, make changes and try them out. We then repeat the steps again until the desired balance is achieved. Sometimes it is hard to attain so we build some adjustability into the car so that changes can be made during the race to keep it as balanced as possible.
We can apply the same thought process to life. You see many of us live our lives out of balance. We try things that lead us to places that are not good for us. The circumstances and results of our actions create difficulties for us. We struggle to put things right. Sometimes we just choose to live in the chaos that has become life. That is not the way God wants it to be, He didn’t create us to live our lives out of balance. He provided a way for us to put things right; Jesus Christ.
Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” He challenged us to search Him out and find out who He truly is. We need to recognize Him and understand what he has to offer to us.
Sometimes we recognize who Christ is but we think we’ll be alright without him. We can make it on our own. We’ll try it and see how we do. The only certainty is that at some point in our life we will need Him.
One part of the Easter Story is about Peter and his denial of knowing Christ. Peter claimed he would defend Christ even if it meant death, but when asked if he was with Christ he said “NO”. He soon found himself broken; shattered, knowing he had given up something he couldn’t live without, his relationship with Christ. Why is it that this relationship is so critical to our lives?
Without a relationship with Jesus our lives are out of balance. No matter how much we try. No matter what we do. No matter how successful we are. No matter how much we own. Nothing matters if we sacrifice our relationship with Jesus to get it.
One of the falsehoods of life is thinking that we can do enough good things to get to Heaven. That is not true. A relationship with Jesus is the only way. Our life will never be right until we have that. When we recognize who Jesus is and what He did on the cross for us it is time for us to reconcile and put things right.
Ephesians 2:8-10, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We need to go before God, acknowledge Him as God and request forgiveness for the sins in our life. Then and only then will things be right. That is the way God created us and that is the way God intended it to be. No other way will work.
Peter thought he had it all figured out. He did until someone asked him if he was really committed to follow Christ. That’s when he lost it. He broke down and learned life’s most critical lesson, it is Christ and Christ alone.
He confirmed he needed Christ the night he went out fishing. After he denied Christ he went back to doing all he knew how to do, fish. Guess what happened? He didn’t catch any fish. Surprised? We shouldn’t be, when he agreed to follow Jesus, Jesus told him, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter didn’t get it yet, but he would. John’s Gospel tells it to us this way.
John 21; Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
After breakfast, Jesus restored Peter and forgave him. Peter’s life was now right. His sins were paid for by the death and resurrection of Christ. He would no longer be a fisherman, but a fisher of men.
Let me ask this, is our life right with God? Are we justified by Christ’s death and resurrection? Jesus came so we could have life and have it abundantly, John 10:10. He is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him, John 14:6. Put things right, put your life into balance; reconcile your life with the one payment that matters, the blood of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
