Who’s In Charge?

Those people who know me well know that I like to be organised and to organise others, to have a plan, make lists, put details on spreadsheets and generally be in charge!  Not quite a control freak, (I hope) but a bit bossy!   So, reading this weeks’ chapters in Mark occasionally brings me out in a cold sweat thinking about the logistics of everything that happens.

The standout event for me is the feeding of the 5000, obviously an amazing miracle, but I imagine being there, wanting to organise it all.  One of my jobs is in catering and events organising, so I would have my bossy head on, telling the apostles what to do and where to go – “Peter and John you feed all those in the northern area, Matthew and Andrew you go to the east.  Now where did we put the baskets for the leftovers? Jesus you must make sure you eat something too.  How are we going to feed everyone before it gets dark?”  - I think you get the idea.

Let’s not even talk about the travel arrangements when Jesus sends out the Twelve, because basically, there are none. I would panic, not knowing where I was staying, how long I was going for, not even taking a change of clothes. They were constantly travelling, healing, ministering, always busy, seemingly without any plans and followed by crowds everywhere.  Oh, the stress of it all!!

That’s me and my human nature though, being caught up in the practicalities, wanting to know the whole plan, trying to fit Jesus in around my life and not fully trusting Him with everything as I should.   

How many of us try to make Jesus follow our schedule? Or put God to one side while we get on with our lives and almost make our time with Him a compulsory part of our day?  Then we wonder why we’re confused, or our prayers don’t seem to be answered.  The crowds in the Bible followed Jesus everywhere, they walked away from their daily routine to follow Him. The disciples, who spent 24 hours a day with Jesus, saw all His miracles and heard all His parables, still had to spend time alone with Him.  Mark 4:34 says……”But when He was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything”.  Jesus also needed time on His own with His Father and after the feeding of the 5000, we read about Him going up on a mountainside to pray, to be alone, to hear the plans God had for the next steps.

Being part of church, attending Grow Group, listening to teaching is important, but your personal relationship and being alone with God is what matters most.  Focus on Him, delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Organise your life around Him and don’t try to organise Him around your life. I’m continually learning to let God be in charge, He can work out the logistics!  Life is less stressful that way.