No More Muddin’ and Pullin’ for Jesus 1

While the concepts of mudding and truck and tractor pulling are prevalent throughout the United States and Canada, there’s a part of me that wants to say that those recreational activities developed near my hometown.  Growing up in Corbin, Kentucky, I had a few childhood moments when I was honored to participate in these up-and-coming Olympic sporting events.  Whether it was in a jeep, seeing what my Honda XR80 could do in the woods after a massive rainstorm, or attending the local truck and tractor pull, playing in the mud was fun.

(For those of you not familiar with the haute culture of mudding and truck/tractor pulls, I’ll let you Google them.)

I remember attending a tractor pull and standing on the sideline.  The massive machine would be hooked up to a specially designed wagon containing an enormous amount of weight.  The driver would rev his engine to an ear-splitting decibel level.  As the engine would roar, sometimes fire and smoke would belch forth from the exhaust.  When the signal was given, the tractor would attempt to plow down the muddy field, pulling the load to the finish line.  Generally, the front end of the tractor would rise off the ground as the enormous rear tires would spin like crazy, attempting with all of their tenacious might to gain some traction in the inches of mud.  Rocks would fly and mud would be thrown for yards.  The driver with the best time was declared the winner.

As I reflect on these times in the mud, I wonder if many times our approaches to missional engagement with the peoples in our contexts are similar to the spinning of wheels that occurs at such outdoor events.

Take a tractor pull for example.  An enormous amount of energy is used to move the vehicle forward.  Part of the required energy is related to the massive weight the tractor is pulling.  But it is the mud and lack of traction that contribute to the major energy drain.  And it is the mud and spinning (and sometimes going nowhere) that makes the event worthy of our participation.

I am concerned that in our own lives, churches, networks, associations, and denominations, that we get so caught up in doing tasks and being busy for Jesus that we rarely move forward in the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches.  We make a great deal of noise.  There is much excitement, but we creep along.  And whenever we do accomplish our goals, we expend such an enormous amount of our resources (e.g., time, money, people), that we are too exhausted to carry on.  Of course, we celebrate the few small victories.  But we really get excited over just doing activities, regardless of the nature of those activities.

If ministry was a sprint, we would be doing great.  But ministry is a marathon.

But what if instead of a few small victories on the way to accomplishing our Kingdom goals, our Father wanted us to experience several major victories?  Such would be wonderful and welcomed, but a lack of wisdom and stewardship would keep us from them.

While there are times when faithfulness and calling require that we spin our tires for a season, we have to use discernment and ask, “Why are we always spinning our tires, slinging mud and rocks, and never moving forward?”

Such a question is a dangerous one to ask, but must always be asked by Kingdom citizens.  The danger, of course, lies in the fact that such a question generally results in us being faced with a decision to make change.

And change is never easy.

The asking of this aforementioned question is likely to bring at least discomfort and possibly pain.  We may discover sin in our hearts.  It may reveal that our theology, missiology, strategy, institutions, structures, and/or methods need (radical?) adjustment.  This question may reveal that we have substituted cherished traditions for wise stewardship.  We may discover that we love our politics and popularity more than we love the King.  Such a question may reveal that continuing in the status quo will not bring about what the Lord desires to accomplish through us.

The lack of progress that comes from a failure to make necessary adjustments for gospel advancement is not to be celebrated.

We have limited resources, but we have everything we need to do what our Father has called us to do.  Let’s not waste them.

Let’s have enough courage to serve the Lord with faithfulness while it is still day.  Let’s not allow the substitution of the good for the best.  Let’s give it our all, and if we find ourselves spinning our tires for too long, let’s make the necessary changes and move on.  There is no room for muddin’ and pullin’ for Jesus in the Kingdom.  Too much is wasted as a waiting world wastes away.

So, where do you see the slinging of mud and the spinning of tires?  How are you going to respond as a Kingdom citizen?