August 21, 2011
Living on the Edge
Every night after prayers, Mom would tuck her little boy into bed and ease back to the den. By the time she picked up the remote, got comfortable on the couch, she would hear a familiar thud. Going back to his room she would discovery her son sound asleep on the floor. One evening she decided to find out why he always rolled off the bed. Quietly she crept back into his room and noticed that he had scooched himself to the very edge of the mattress. It didn’t take but a few minutes—’thud’. The following night after snugly tucking him into the middle of his bed, she cautioned him, “Now stay in the middle!” He protested, “But Mom, I don’t like to be so far in; I want to stay on the edge.”
When I heard this story, I thought to myself, this sounds like so many Christians who are always failing God. They are living on the edge. They don’t want to get too far in.
Living on the edge seems to be part to our sinful nature. Some observations: If the speed limit is 65 mph, why do people drive 70 mph? And if the law is changed to 70 mph, why do people then drive 75 mph. If you’re going to break the speed laws why not go for it and drive 100 mph? If you ask someone, they’ll probably tell you that driving 100 mph would guarantee a speeding ticket, but driving only 5 mph over of the ‘edge’, would probably only get a warning.
God doesn’t want us to live on the edge and merely aim for a 98% success rate. He desires for us to get as far ‘into the bed’ as we can and to aim for 100% obedience. Yes, you can sleep in the middle of a King size bed and still roll off. Thankfully, we are saved by grace. But shouldn’t we at least make 100% a goal instead of living on the edge and risk a spiritual thud? Living on the edge has negative consequences.
Jesus came to His disciples as they were washing their nets after a night of unproductive fishing. He told Peter, Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Peter replied, I will do as you say and let down the net. The result, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, but their net began to break (Lk. 5:4-6). There is a subtle variation that the English translations miss. Jesus told them to let down their nets (plural). Peter let down only one net (single). The result, it began to break. Peter was partially obedient. This lifelong fisherman probably thought, “What does Jesus, a carpenter, know about fishing? I’ll pacify Him and put down a net.” Was Peter just living on the edge? Not only did he almost loose the fish; now he had to repair his net.
After His resurrection Jesus tested them one last time. Again He came after a fruitless night of fishing and said to Peter; Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat. This time Peter was wholly obedient. The results—they could barely drag in the great catch of fish. And Scripture is clear, the net was not torn (John 21:6, 11). Not living on the edge brought a blessing and eliminated a repair. Where are you?—on the edge or as far in as you can get?
Sustaining Word for the Week:
God doesn’t want you to fall or fail. So get off the edge. And remember the lesson—you will be blessed with a net full, plus you won’t have to make any repairs.