Some time ago I read an article written by Richard Meyer, a religious writer with relevant viewpoints for me. Some of his ideas expressed in that article motivate me to share and expand upon them here.

He told this story:

A disciple asked the elder, “O Holy One, what must I do to be enlightened?”

“To be enlightened, you must break with your weaker past,” was the reply.

“Well, I am doing that, little by little,” the disciple replied.

The elder responded, “No one crosses a chasm little by little. To cross a chasm you must take a leap.”

At some point, becoming a Christian takes a leap; a leap of faith. We must decide that what Jesus Christ claimed and taught was true. We must decide by faith to accept him personally. We must decide to publicly demonstrate our decision of faith by being baptized into Christ and becoming a member of his body. We cannot do this little by little. A chasm of sin separates us from God. Jesus provided the way – the ONLY way – across that chasm. To become a Christian, we must take the leap.

Most of us want to be better people. Most of us want to be right with God. But taking a leap seems to be so dangerous, so final. We therefore hesitate and try to do things our own way, little by little. Our way doesn’t require faith. It does not require a risky leap.

As a young boy, I was a Hopalong Cassidy fan. He was my cowboy hero. Often the bad guys would chase him and he would come to a cliff. He would look down and see a 500 foot drop. He would look across the gulf and consider whether his faithful horse could make the jump to the other side. If not, the bad guys would get him. Then he would back his horse up to get a running start, yell “Giddy Up!” (He never hit his horse or used spurs because he loved that horse), and start a feverish run. I would hold my breath as “Hoppy” and horse jumped. They would barely make it, but somehow they always managed. And the bad guys, not being as brave, never even attempted the jump.

I was raised by dedicated Christian parents with a very spiritual perspective on life. Church life was always an integral part of our lives. And yet to accept Christ took a leap of personal faith on my part. I hesitated often. At sixteen, I finally jumped. On the other side of the chasm, God was waiting to give me new life. Once I took the leap of faith, I was born again. I was given a spiritual life.

There have been times in my spiritual life when I have had to take other leaps of faith in order to get over gaps that existed in my growing up as a child of God. And growing up, maturing as a spiritual being, is now the whole point.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:14-16:“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.”

The writer T. D. Jakes points out that Paul did not say “in the inner child”, but “in the inner man.” Paul expected the Ephesians (and us) to grow up in Jesus Christ. So why are so many of us so often immature and weak as Christians? Because we have not been “strengthened with might by his spirit.” We are still trying to change ourselves, little by little. But the leap of faith we take in accepting Christ is also a leap of faith that God’s spirit can work in us to “grow us up.”

A photographer tells how making a print fascinates him. He simply shines a light through a negative onto a blank piece of photographic paper. Then he puts the paper under a safe light. He knows there is a latent image there even though he can’t see it at first. In the developing tray, the image slowly emerges. That’s what it’s like for us in Christ. We are exposed to Christ when we accept him as Savior and Lord. The image of Christ has been burned into us. God’s holy spirit must then develop that picture of Jesus in us.

But we cannot develop ourselves. We take a leap of faith and part of that leap is accepting the very real fact that God will do his work in us. By letting his spirit in, we allow the image of Christ to be developed in us. Little by little, we begin to look like him.

One afternoon, I was parked in front of the Wal-mart store wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to finish her shopping. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous, but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of the "don't want to be bothered" times.

"I hope he doesn't ask me for money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop and he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very nice car," he said. He was ragged but had an air of dignity about him. I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside me whispered, “Ask him if he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say yes, but I held true to that inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked. His answer surprised me. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and from our church’s pulpit. I expected nothing from this poor soul but an outstretched grimy hand. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the night. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need the help of others. But on the other hand, no matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even when your finances are low, you are able to give help. Even if it's just a compliment or a kind word of encouragement, you can give that much.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them something they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at the beauty of unselfish living, some relief from the daily chaos of life, that only you through a Christ-like perspective will be able to give.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. But then again, maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise to deliver a message to a man who was becoming too complacent and comfortable in himself.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "Go minister to that man cleaning his car, that man needs help." (Heb.13: 1&2)

"Don't we all?"

A Daughter's Heart

Mother's Day
by Tracie Elliott