Our small group is doing this study, “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman.
I’ve only watched the first lesson, and I’m hooked. He asked “Are you a fan, or a follower?” and I have to admit, I’ve resigned to sideline christianity. Prayer is not the first thing I jump to, but rather a last resort. I do everything I can to solve everything that comes my way and only ask for God’s help or direction when I just cannot figure it out. And even then, it’s more of a whiny request than a faith filled prayer.
Then, toward the end, Kyle was talking about a single father whose life was transformed. He went from fan to follower, was always serving and giving and was actively reflecting the light of Jesus to all the people he encountered. The change was so profound that the man’s mother requested a meeting with Kyle.
Instead of “Thanks for helping my son come to know Jesus intimately,” the woman requested that Kyle help the man see that he had “taken it too far.” He was too devoted, too into Jesus, and that he had lost the sight of “healthy balance.” (Forgive me, I’ve paraphrased some of her words.)
I stared at the video – I was baffled, and I cried. I remember someone telling me just a few years ago that church was my crutch, I was going overboard and taking things too far with the whole God-thing. I was being extreme. And I got mad at first, but then that advice started to change my view on things. I stopped going to church. I stopped praying so much. I didn’t want to be extreme, or to hide at church, or to use God as a crutch. I didn’t want people to see me that way. I don’t know why, really – but it seriously damaged my relationship with Jesus, and my reliance on God.
I know it won’t be overnight, but I am praying that once again, my hiding place will be God, that my life will be marked by service, and that my crutch will Jesus. I pray that not only will I say “God is in control, Jesus is enough,” but that I will live it in every single thing I do, every day, for the rest of my life.
Regina Walker 