Read Mark 10:17-22.
Remember Susan Powter? No? Maybe this will help:
Oh yeah – She was the exercise infomercial star a few years ago who famously shouted “Stop the Insanity!!” at anyone blurrily watching late night TV. Her theatrical catch phrase carried a simple message — if you want to get fit, then stop eating junk and exercise. The nugget of truth hidden in her pop culture buzz-line was if you want something to be different, there has to be a change. Believe it or not, this idea has implications for our Christian lives as well.
Take the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus’ answer was to follow the commandments. To this the ruler replied that he had done so since he was a boy. Then Jesus said there was only one more thing to do — sell all he had and give it to the poor. But this was evidently more than the young man was willing to do because scripture tells us he went away sad.
In my mind’s eye, I believe Jesus would liked to have told this young man “Stop the Insanity!!” Here was someone wanting the new life presented by Jesus, yet unwilling to part with his old life to get it. How often do we do the exact same thing? We want a new life, a different result, or something fixed that is currently broken. But too often we want this fresh start given to us with no change in our current lives. Essentially we tell God the change should come on his part, not ours. But when I think of all the times I have needed a fresh start in my life, I see that it only really happened when I actually made some sort of change myself. You see, if change doesn’t accompany our fresh start, then God can never really give us a fresh start.
Need a fresh start this year? Then there’s only one more thing to do…tell God you’re going to “Stop the Insanity!!” He’ll help you make the change and you will see results in your life.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
