Wisdom Asks the Most Important Questions.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God. It was never was about you and them anyway.

A powerful closing to a soul-piercing poem by Mother Theresa.

It’s all too easy to excuse ourselves from doing what is right and good because of weaknesses we see in someone else, or even a group of people such as a church. We can always find weaknesses. We will continue to be hurt throughout life. And yet others’ shortcomings can become our excuses, if we let them.

Have you ever been hurt by someone and felt you had the right to tell them off, to gossip about them, or just ignore them?

Have you ever been hurt by someone (even, and perhaps especially, a Christian) and then shut yourself off from what you know God says, and from what is true–and justify your response because of them?

I am confident our honest answers to these questions have at times been (or currently are) “yes.” We could all tell our stories of hurts and also of ungodly responses (I know I could) —but ultimately the stories aren’t so important.

Our response to our story is incredibly important.

Time after time I have watched and listened as Wyndham has (in one way or another) empathetically listened to hurts and sad situations, and yet then asks the all-important questions:

How will you respond?

What will you do with Jesus?

Wisdom knows that the answer to these questions affect our eternity. Wisdom knows the answer is centered in Jesus.

Wisdom then asks the bottom line question, “What will you do with Jesus?”

This question is asked throughout the Bible in accounts such as the one in Matthew 27:22 when Jesus is on trial and Pilate asks the crowd, “What do I do with this Jesus…?”  Unfortunately, Pilate listens to the crowd. It was easier, in the short term to follow the crowd. It was safer, less messy, less difficult…less selfless.

When Wyndham was diagnosed with the cruel disease he carries in his body, his neurologist made the wise comment, “You will now get to do what everyone needs to do. You can focus on what is really most important in life.”  This was after sharing with him the foundation on which we have built, and continue to build our lives. (The wisdom and compassion of his neurologist is a gift…and perhaps a post for another time.)

It’s hard to stop and focus on what’s most important. It’s hard to ask the questions that are of utmost importance .

Wisdom stops. Wisdom focuses. Wisdom asks.

Wisdom pauses to recount the words Jesus speaks in John 6:63.

  The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (NLT)

Still, after hearing these words some walked away. It was hard, and they had excuses. Jesus asked the twelve, “Are you also going to leave?”

Peter knew there was nowhere else to go.

I’m grateful Wyndham asks the most important questions, How will you respond? What will you do with Jesus?

Wisdom knows there is nowhere else to go. Nothing (no one) else offers eternal life.

How will you respond? What will you do with Jesus?

What does it really matter about “them?”

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God. It was never was about you and them anyway.