Who’s in Charge
If you have been around Shelby Crossings much the last few years, you've probably heard me make this statement more than a few times: "He is God, and we're not." It's a simple, and obvious truth, and I'm sure I’ve repeated it more times than necessary, but it's something the Lord keeps reminding me of on a regular basis, and it always seems to apply in my Sunday sermons. Because understanding that hierarchy is fundamental to our faith, and will certainly reduce our frustration when we settle that issue in our minds.
I read a story this week that I think illustrates that same idea, in a funny way. It was about Christian Herter, who was governor of the state of Massachusetts in the 1950's, and later served as the U.S. Secretary of State in the early '60's. When he was running for a second term as governor, he was out campaigning one day, and finally arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon after a busy day of chasing votes, and Herter was famished.
As the governor moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?"
"Sorry," the woman told him, "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person."
"But I'm starved," the governor said. "Sorry," the woman answered, "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state."
"Do you know who I am?" the woman replied. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."
Really, it doesn't matter who you are, and what you've done, and what you've accomplished, and how smart you are, and how talented you are...you still need to understand who's in charge of the chicken! And as followers of Jesus who profess a belief in God, we need to accept that we have a Boss we need to trust and obey, even sometimes when we don't fully understand. He's not just calling the shots about how many pieces of chicken you get, He's in charge of all of your life, and your best bet would be to submit yourself to Him and His will.
Proverbs 9:10 said it this way, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And though it may sound a little different, that's really saying the same thing in a different way: He's God, and you're not. Understanding that truth, and lining your life up behind it, is where real wisdom starts.
To borrow from my favorite line from the movie Rudy, "There is a God, and you're not Him!' That sure takes the load off, and reminds us that we don't have to run the show this week. Just "trust in the Lord, with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all of your ways, and He will direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5-6)
I am praying for you, and I look forward to seeing each of you this Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
