Go Beyond

   Last Friday I attended the “At the Corner of…” Conference sponsored by Mission Houston. The purpose of this conference was to foster a conversation within the Body of Christ in the greater Houston area about repentance that leads to missional living. My friend Jim Herrington invited me to share Kingsland’s story at this event held at the beautiful facilities of the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. I enjoyed listening to all of the speakers — especially those from our own community. I am always encouraged to hear what others in the Houston area are doing to advance God’s purposes. God is doing some cool things through lots of His faithful servants.

   Mark Labberton was the main speaker at the conference. Mark is a former pastor who now teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and is the author of “Radical Obedience” and “The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice.” Mark challenged us to reorder our lives to reflect what really matters most to God. “Worship,” said Mark, is “the dangerous act of waking up to God and to the purposes of God in the world, and then living lives that actually show it.” Others, including me, shared personal insight into how God has led them to engage with and to confront the issues that matter most to God — from ministering to the least of these to transforming neighborhoods through unconditional acts of love and kindness.

   Mark shared one story that was both amusing and convicting at the same time. When his son Sam was four-years old, Mark read him a children’s book about Palm Sunday. Sam was especially moved by the illustration on the cover of the book that depicted Jesus sitting on a donkey. Mark said that Sam stared at the illustration, put his hand on it, and then covered his heart with his hand. “Daddy,” Sam remarked with a serious tone, “Jesus is in my heart!” Mark affirmed Sam and told him that he was so happy that Jesus was in his heart. Sam however, continued to gaze at the cover illustration and asked, “But Daddy, where is the donkey?” Mark smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Sam, the donkey is in your heart, too.”

   Mark is right. There is a donkey in each of our hearts that tries to keep us from fulfilling God’s purposes in the world. The donkey is there — stubbornly present in our pride, selfishness, and sense of entitlement. It’s the donkey in us that keeps us from forsaking all that is comfortable, manageable, and predictable in order to advance God’s purposes. It’s the donkey that distracts us from venturing to where we’ve never been and keeps us from doing what we’ve never done. It’s the donkey that stubbornly refuses to allow us to reorder our priorities to reflect God’s priorities. It’s the donkey in us that keeps us silent in the company of those who need to hear God’s words of hope and encouragement. Yes, the donkey is in our hearts, too.

   Don’t let the donkey keep you from where you need to go. And, don’t let the donkey take you on a ride to where you should not go. Follow Jesus instead. He can subdue the donkey and lead you into adventurous living — the kind of living that will make a difference in the world today.