The first time Pastor Jeff Vines tried to build a model aeroplane, he ended up in a mess of glue and parts, with something more resembling a helicopter. When his father walked by, he asked him how to fix the problem. “You’re in such disarray, the best thing you can do is wipe the slate clean, and begin again, start all over. Because you cannot get there from where you are right now.”
If we’re honest, some of our lives may look more like than that model aeroplane than we want to admit. “Most of us spend our days rushing around from here to there, then we fall in bed at night, totally exhausted, having accomplished little or nothing.”
One of God’s best tricks is using something meant for evil to do good. Despite all the pain it has caused, Pastor Vines says the pandemic offers us a chance to pick up the pieces and work out what we really want to build with them. Of course, change comes with risk, especially if your business is well-established, or your career path seems clear. “Better the devil you know,” right?
When Vines impulsive bike ride to work only took him an hour, he felt confident he could get home the same way. But he’d forgotten that the downhill trip there was now an uphill climb. “It took me about two hours and ten minutes to make that journey, and it took me about three or four days to recover from it.”
“You notice as you get older things don’t work the way they used to. And you’re afraid to take risks for fear you might do some har to yourself. But if that’s the way you’re going to live, and if you think that you can live the same way and overcome the frustration and the disappointment, it will never change.”
It’s easy to get so preoccupied by our mountain of earthly demands that we lose track of our real goals in life. But don’t forget where following worldly rules can lead us. As 1 John 5:19 says, “we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one”.
IN John 10:10, Jesus reminds us that the wicked one is a thief, come to “steal, kill and destroy”. Jesus, on the other hand, offers us a life lived to the fullest. “If you want to live again,” Vines says, “this is the perfect opportunity to step out of the flow that you’ve been in for so long, that’s indicative of the world system, that is governed, that is ruled, by one that is trying to destroy you.”
Vines says all the things we hope for in life – a good marriage, financial and personal security, a sense of fulfillment, are by-products of a life lived for God. Unfortunately,” he said, “what most of us end up doing is chasing the by-products, instead of the core reality that produces them.
S. Lewis said “aim at heaven and you get Earth thrown in. Aim at Earth, and you get neither”. It’s a blunt restatement of Jesus’ advice in Matthew 6:33 NKJV. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. SO as we rethink how life after COVID-19 will look, let’s take some time to get our priorities in order, and ask ourselves whether we’re taking the kind of risks that can bring us real achievements and rewards.
So how do you go about resetting your life? Pastor Vines says the Apostle Paul gives us a great roadmap. For that and much more about getting your life back on track, watch the full sermon in the video at the top of this article.
More from Pastor Jeff Vines
A Person’s True Wealth – Ps Jeff Vines
What do you consider as the first miracle of the Bible? Pastor Jeff Vines believes it to be when Jesus tells His disciples to divide 20,000 people up into groups of 50.
A Dynamic Force
Do you think our world is bad today? Do you think we’re in trouble? Do you think we’re facing turmoil? Some might say we’re a walk in the park compared to first century Rome! The family was breaking down, the social structure was disintegrating and basic moral values were drifting by the wayside.
I Don’t Feel God – Ps Jeff Vines
Have you ever prayed to God but didn’t feel Him answer? What do you do when this happens? All of us have times like this. But there are keys to understanding God and having a good relationship with Him. Investments we can make that will pay huge dividends.
When All Seems Lost
In his new message, ‘When All Seems Lost’, Pastor Jeff Vines covers the topics of marriage and keeping relationships strong. Jeff offers encouragement for those of us who are struggling with chaos and feeling lost.
