GOOD THINKING: WHAT IF THEY HAD QUIT?

I had a dream the other night. I dreamed that the 12 Disciples had gathered at one of their favorite campsites on the Sea of Galilee for their 20th reunion. Peter's hair had turned gray and he was bothered by arthritis. James and John were no longer so "thunderous"; they were beset by the aches and pains of old age. Matthew had made a fortune, only to lose it all. All of them had seen hard times, times of persecution, times of suffering, times of want.

Now, as they shared the experiences of the years, some of them wondered if it had all been worth it. Maybe it would be better for all concerned if they all just quit!

Then in my dream I could sense a slight breeze blowing across the campsite. The Disciples must have felt it, too. Perhaps they were reminded of another day and time when a mighty rushing wind had swept across their lives. One after the other, they seemed to get their second wind; they stirred with new life!

As they left the reunion they were filled with fresh hope, a new zeal, inspired to do great things for God! The rest is history. They went back into the world and reclaimed the world for God. They healed broken bodies and broken hearts. They preached with power. They taught with authority. They changed lives for good. They made a positive difference. They created a heavenly fellowship here on earth; we call it the Church.

As I awoke from my dream, this one question stuck in my mind, "What if they had quit?"

Just as God chose the Twelve; so God has chosen us. God is calling us to go out into the world and change the world for good! People are crying for help, starving for hope. The needs of the world are great. We are challenged to carry on the work begun by Jesus, Peter, James and John, and those who followed. Just as God gave the Twelve the power to accomplish the work, so God gives us all the power needed to answer the plea for help, feed the people with fresh hope, and meet the needs of the world!

But, what if we quit? We are tempted to give up, throw in the towel. Let somebody else do the work. We're too old. We're too tired. We're too weak.

What if we do quit? What if we stop just short of the finish line and never claim the crown of victory? What about the work that will never get done because we didn't try to do it? What about all those people who will never hear a word of Good News?

I don't know about you, but my God is too great a God for me to give up so easily. My God is too wondrous a God for me to quit and leave his work undone. My God has given me an important work to do! And nothing or no one is going to keep me from doing it ! How about you?