Janice Braun
Williams
The Joy of the
Lord is my Strength
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Janice Braun
Williams
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GOD DOESN’T TAKE MASTER CARD OR VISA
I ran into an old friend today. We hadn’t seen each other in twenty years and decided Starbucks down the street was where we’d catch up on each other’s lives. We ordered coffee and found a table outside. Within minutes we were chatting like old times, sharing news of husbands, kids and grandkids. Joyce’s husband is president of a large corporation. They live in a very posh part of the county, on acreage, as she put it. Her kids graduated from prestigious colleges back east.
“The girls married well,” she boasted. “And our three sons are in finance”.
I shared with her that my husband owned his own business—a hardware store that did pretty good. I explained that our two children, both girls, went to Bible College and married missionaries. “They are both living in Uganda,” I added proudly.
Joyce gave me a smile that bordered on sympathy. I did what any mother would do. I said, “We’re so very proud of them.”
Out of nowhere, Joyce said, “Nice piece of jewelry.” She nodded to the cross and chain around my neck. The hair on the back of my neck began to prickle. I’m a bit like the disciple Peter. I tend to fly off the handle so I bit my tongue against an unkind word.
Joyce stared at me for a moment. “You aren’t one of those Jesus freaks, are you?”
I should remind you one of the attributes of God: He has a great sense of humor and timing. I held a smile in check and replied. “Yes, I am.”
My friend squirmed in her chair, crossed and uncrossed her legs and finally said,
“I don’t do that church stuff.” She tapped a perfectly manicured nail on the side of her coffee cup for a few seconds before adding, “My husband says religion is for the weak and that the church is filled with hypocrites.”
Her statement didn’t surprise me. I’d heard that the percentage of people of wealth who believed Jesus was the way to eternal life was somewhere around 18%- 25%. Apparently the more you have, the less you need God. In fact, this must have been the case in Jesus’ time because the Bible tells us that it is harder for a rich man to get into Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. In other words, the more self-sufficient man is, the less time he spends in the company of God.
“You don’t believe all that stuff do you?” Joyce asked.
“Yes, I do,” I replied.
“But why? Every church I know keeps its members in bondage—you can’t do this, you can’t eat that. They take the fun out of living.”
“I don’t see it that way,” I replied. “But, let’s say you’re right and there is no God and that all this religious stuff is a hoax to keep people in line. I haven’t lost anything, Joyce. I’ve lived by the golden rule. I have a wonderful husband and kids who also live by that rule. We’ve made a better community for those around us, we share what blessings we have, and I haven’t given anything up except stuff that is either bad for me or bad for those around me. The difference between you and me is that I choose to believe that there is a God and that He sent his Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and went to be with God to prepare a place for me when I die. You, however, don’t believe in anything—no life after death, nothing. You’re living for the here and now. What’s that—maybe eighty years? I’m living in the here and now, but when I die, I have an eternity in Heaven to look forward to.”
“Are you saying that if you don’t believe in Jesus, God will turn his back on you?”
“That’s what it says in the Bible.”
“The Bible was written by men. Men make mistakes,” Joyce replied.
“We believe the Bible was inspired by God. He told the apostles and others what to write. There have been plenty of scholars who tried to disprove the Bible teachings but as they delved into the Bible, its origin and its teachings, they realized that every prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled right up until the present time. Great men like Einstein, Webster and C. S. Lewis, to name a few, concluded that God’s Word is true.”
“I can’t buy into it,” Joyce said.
I looked at my watch and reached over to rest my hand on hers. “I’ve got to go, Joyce. But I’d like to leave you with something to think about. We didn’t run into each other by accident. God planned it. There’s not enough money on earth to buy your way into Heaven. You can’t do enough good works to get to Heaven. There’s only one way to eternal life—through Jesus, God’s son. The question is: What will you do with Jesus? You’re either for him or against him. Your eternal life depends on how you answer that question.”
Joyce’s face sobered. She stood up. We hugged and exchanged phone numbers. Whether I hear from Joyce or not, the truth is that God loves her. He orchestrated this meeting so that I could tell Joyce God sent his only Son to die for our sins.
On the way to meet my husband I ponder the question: Why is it that the majority of the people spend more time investing in their financial future than in their eternal future? Why do they worry about their kid’s college education when their eternal life is at stake?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should have everlasting life. John 3:16
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One
of my favorite Bible
verses, especially when I begin work on a new project |
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