Epworth United Methodist Student Ministries

Students With A Task  

Service Worship Accountability Teamwork

Allie ----

        Following Jesus is like a bungee jumping !

          Following Jesus is like doing the bungee jumping at Cedar Point and knowing you will be caught at the bottom.

          Bungee Jumping is where you are attached to a long bungee cord and you free fall in the air for 310 feet at 65 mph and just before you hit the ground, the bungee cord pulls you back up. Sounds like fun, huh?

          Now, about the scripture that was just read, I’m going to be honest; I have a hard time with it, the clothes part especially – you see, I had my outfit for today long before I had my sermon ready.

          For me, my senior year has been quite an experience. Lots of fun, yes but also lots of worrying.   First, writing college essays and getting my applications in on time, then getting accepted (and rejected) from those colleges, and finally deciding where to attend.  All of this, and yet I still haven’t fallen, that will be when I begin college this fall.  Although I happen to be at a classic “let the rip-cord go” time in my life, all people face change, anxieties and worries on a daily basis don’t we?  

           It’s doubtful that those disciples, listening to the Sermon on the Mount knew the harmful bodily effects of stress, but we, 2000 years later do. Stress causes headaches, high blood pressure, muscle tension and sleep disturbances to name a few. If his isn’t a sign that stress is bad for us, I don’t know what is.

           It’s easy for us to think that our stress and anxiety is greater than that in Jesus’ time, hence this passage is not applicable to us anymore, but this is not the case. Jesus gives us a cure for anxiety; he dealt directly with the issue and tells us explicitly what to do. Jesus says, do not worry --- but isn’t that easier said than done?

          First, we must look at what we worry about. According to a Worth/Roper survey, the things Americans worry most about are investing money poorly, having major surgery, speaking in public, being audited by the IRS, and being pulled over for speeding; ultimately all things that are a part of and affecting our lives. Also, another survey showed that Only, 8% of the time do we worry about actual problems we face

     The other 92% of the time we worry about things that have either already happened or will never happen, and we waste this time thinking about ourselves!

     Think about that ---- As Christians, how can we be this self centered? 

     Doesn’t Jesus say to put others before ourselves?

     Yes, Jesus said to Love your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbors as yourself. 

     The first way to deal with anxiety is to see that life is more than stuff and money. If we constantly remember that life is more than the physical and much of life is beyond us, maybe our worries will quell. We have the tendency to measure our lives in terms of the things around us; our cars, homes, and computers forgetting that in an instant they could all be gone. This past summer in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on work team, we saw the massive amounts of damage done by Hurricane Rita. The people we served had lost almost everything they owned in a matter of hours. They taught us that the things truly important in life are not these physical objects but our relationships with our friends and family, and our virtues; honesty, kindness, patience, and love.

     Again, they taught us that the things truly important in life are not these physical objects but our relationships with our friends and family, and our virtues.

     Now, I’m not saying to sell all of your possessions or not to buy things --- But we must not let our possessions or the love of money consume us and take over our lives. I understand that we need computers to work cars to transport us and homes to live in; but let’s take these things at their face value and not define our lives or ourselves by them. Use things and love people, not the other way around.

     We must remember that worrying is futile and again, only 8% of the things that people worry about actually happen. Jesus said, “Who you of by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” This is sound wisdom. Worrying wastes thoughts, energy and ultimately life. Let’s take the energy we spend daily on needless worrying and put our energy towards a better cause. Pick up a book or a newspaper, take a walk, or call a friend to chat.

     We must always remember that God will provide us with what we need. Like the passage says, the birds of the air are fed, just as we are by God. Although my family and I may concern ourselves with our dog, Maggie’s health, safety and comfort, I doubt that she keeps her self up at night worrying if her allergies will be bad the next day or if her flea medicine will make her skin look blotchy. Shouldn’t we trust God to take care of us, just as Maggie trusts my family to take care of her? If and when we begin to more fully trust in God our worries will begin to melt away. We will find peace in our hearts and in our lives and can begin to spread this peace to our troubled world.

       We can make our worry go away; none of us are so challenged that we can’t find the commitment. Worry is a habit --- actually a bad habit.  It's not a natural state of human life. We must learn to control and suppress it by trusting in God.

       So, tonight when you are at home after your Sunday night TV shows have ended and you begin to worry about your upcoming week, take a deep breath and relax.

       As we stand on the top of the Bungee jump called life ---- look out and over the horizon and enjoy the view, and take that leap forward, trust in God  --- the God who will catch you at the bottom of the ripcord fall.

     God is waiting ----- are you going to jump?