$3 Worth of God

My colleague at work often play one of my favorite childhood games with the kids during school dismissal. I’d sit at my desk and smile at the sound of both teachers and students jumping to the commands of, “in the river, on the bank”. It goes like this, students are lined up along a line rope or imaginable line.

When the leader calls, “in the river”, they jump over the rope or line, and when she calls, “on the bank”, they jump back to safety, or opposite of the river.

When the leader says, “river,” the students must jump with both feet together to the river side, and vice versa for “bank.”The leader tries to trick the jumpers by saying “river” when they are already on the river side, or “bank” when they are on the bank side. If they jumped to the wrong side, they’d be out of the game.

The aim is to listen intently. It’s such a fun game, you should definitely try it.

The last time I watched the game, I couldn’t help but relate it to my Christian walk with God.

We’ve been playing in the river and on the bank with Christ. And I’m not talking about Christians only. Many of us want just enough of God because of the benefits, but are not willing to go “all the way in” because of what “all the way in” will do to our selfish desires. We find it difficult to stay on the side of Christ, because His side will transform us totally. We want $3 worth of God.

I would like to buy $3 worth of God please,

not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep,

but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.

I don’t want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant.

I want ecstasy, not transformation;

I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth.

I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack.

I would like to buy $3 dollars worth of God please.

Wilbur Rees

Read those lines again slowly and wait for its meaning to hit you like a ton of bricks. In your self evaluation, do you find the lines of the poem pointing right at you?

It perfectly sums up most Christians and non Christians today. It’s a powerful way of explaining how many of us approach our faith. We don’t want Jesus to totally change our lives, just enough of Him to make us feel better about ourselves. The idea of Christ appeals to us, but the meaning of Him and the prerequisites do not. We think a total surrender requires too much, and we’re scared of missing out.

We’re just trying to get by, feed our kids, do our jobs, avoid catastrophe, and maybe help some people along the way.

We’re on the bank on Sunday or Saturday, but jump right back into the river when we see things we like or that which is to gratify ourselves.

We think it’s enough to be a church goer, but God’s invitation and our acceptance of Him are beyond normal and regular.

Are we asking for the right things? Are we seeking the full gospel, the full presence of Jesus in our lives? Are we searching for transformation and wholeness? Or are we settling for three dollars worth of God?

The call of God for each man and woman is to a changed life. He is bidding us to come to him, to embrace Him – all of Him, and having been with Him, to go forth from His presence and be an agent of change in the world.

Join me in embracing the path of discipleship with Jesus – the road that goes on forever. Let’s stay on the bank, go all in with Jesus, and build a wealthy and healthy relationship with Him.

It’s worth is more valuable than anything this world has to offer.

Merry Melodious Melody…