As we proceed with our series, Unlocking the Power of Your Thinking, I want to go back to a point I made concerning G ideon's thinking a few weeks ago. Gideon assumed he needed more if he was going to do what God was announcing. More of what? you ask. He thought he needed more of everything! He needed more courage, more confirmation it was the Lord speaking to him, more soldiers for the army, more grace that God would not slay him on the spot for his recalcitrance. It is safe to conclude that Gideon's thinking was the main obstacle preventing him from cooperating with God's plan. Until he changed his thinking, he was going to stay right where he was doing what he had always done. The same is true for you.
This week, let's look at this same tendency (to look for more) among Jesus' followers as we examine the time when Jesus fed the 5,000. This story is told in all four gospels, but I have chosen to use John's account in his gospel.
NEW THOUGHTS
Here is how John began his report:
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:5-8).
Jesus was the one who asked the question and it was to reveal the limitation of His disciples' thoughts and faith at that point in time. Perhaps Jesus is asking you a question? If He is, you can be sure He already knows the answer, but in all probability you do not, which is why He is asking. Philip did a quick calculation of the cost to feed everyone and he dismissed Jesus' idea since they needed more money while Andrew did an inventory of what they had on hand and concluded that their stock was woefully short of what would be needed. Just like Gideon, Philip and Andrew assumed they needed more if they were going to act and perhaps thought Jesus was a little unrealistic to even be considering such a possibility. Of course, Jesus was and is not the one with the problem. His disciples were in error and this is still the same today.
Jesus asked the question and set up this scenario to give the disciples new ways of looking at their problems and challenges. He wanted them to see the situation as an opportunity but for them to see it the same way, they had to get rid of their small thinking and think bigger thoughts. Once again, the same is true for you and me,
WRONG AGAIN
You know the story after that but just in case you don't remember, here it is:
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten (John 6:11-13).
Jesus did not need more money or more loaves and fish. He used what they had in their possession to feed a multitude. This process did not escape the notice of the crowd, who did some quick calculations of their own and concluded that a great miracle had occurred. What did they do in response? Give thanks? Worship? Ask for prayer? No, they applied their limited thinking and decided to crown Jesus as their king:
After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself (John 6:14-15).
What we see in this story is bad or wrong thinking on the front and back ends of the miracle, first on the part of the disciples and then of the crowd. The disciples should have known Jesus was teaching them something and asked, "What did You have in mind, Lord?" The crowd should have asked something like, "What does this mean for us, Lord? What is the lesson in what you just did?" They did not and Jesus had to make Himself scarce before they did something rash (of course, Jesus was already King, so it was another instance of wrong thinking on the people's part).
What about you? Is Jesus directing you to do something but your thinking is, "I need more—more education, more time, more money, more knowledge"? Has Jesus done great things for you, but you are not extracting the correct lesson from His acts, and are not applying those lessons to your purpose or creativity? You see, when Jesus does a great miracle, it's not so you can make Him more famous. It's so He can stimulate your faith that will take you to the next level of fruitfulness for Him. This feeding miracle was not to highlight what Jesus could do; it showed what His people can do with Him in their midst. You don't need more; you only need Him—he is always enough. I encourage you to look at your life this week and see where you have been holding out for more before you act, now realizing that when you act, you will always find the more—in Him. Have a blessed week!
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