I Shifted
In high school, a “Jesus Freak” told me about Jesus. A few weeks later, I decided to accept Jesus as savior. But not 100%, not yet. Not fully yet. Then in Alaska on a Coast Guard ship, a cook told me again about Jesus. Then in Seattle, still in the Coast Guard, I saw the “I Found It” billboards and called the number. A man came to the base to talk to me once more about Jesus. This time it was different. This time I made Jesus my Lord and Savior.
Shortly after, I met Karen, and later bought an old pickup. A nice 1958 Chevrolet 3200 pickup, with a narrow 8-foot long bed, which made it a little rare. I installed a newly rebuilt 235 cubic inch, 6-cylinder engine in the truck.
I loved that truck. After I got out of the Coast Guard, I drove it up into Canada and spent a couple of months on Vancouver Island as a very short-term missionary. When I came back, I got a job with the railroad. But during this time, I worked on that old pickup whenever I could. I was trying to find the original parts to make it like new. I learned all I could about it. This pickup truck was nice enough that people would sometimes stop and ask me if I would sell it to them. I always said no.
One night while I was in my apartment alone, the Lord said for me to choose between Him or the truck.
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. (Or really cool trucks and cars)"
Oh no! Before that night, I thought God was number one in my life. I realized at that moment, I have made the truck number one. No, I choose the Lord. I shifted from the truck being number one in my life to making God number one.
The very next day, before work, I put a for sale sign in the truck’s window. To my surprise, with all the times people have stopped me to make me an offer for the truck, now I couldn’t sell it. But I kept trying. I can be a little stubborn sometimes.
A few months later, Karen and I got married, and we used the truck as a get-away car. The truck was not only not number one, it wasn’t even on the list anymore. We knew the getaway car would be “decorated” with all kinds of stuff. I didn’t want Karen’s year-old Pinto to get messed up. I was surprised that all they used for decoration was whip cream and toilet paper. Oh they did chain the truck to the railing I had backed up to. I remember people cheered, when we tried to drive away and the truck jerked to a quick stop killing the engine. They cheered even more when I revved up the engine, popped the clutch and broke the chain that held us.
Many months later, after trying, I finally sold it. I sold it for less than a third of what guys were offering me a year earlier.
One thing I learned, it’s OK to have nice things, just don’t put them ahead of God. God is a jealous God.
The Lord your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.
Comments