Mike Browning

Tag: Sunday Reflection

  • The Biggest Wrecks Of All

    The Biggest Wrecks Of All

    God uses flawed people. He has to, since that’s the only kind there is.

    Whenever you walk into a new church (or even one you’ve been to several times), it’s easy to feel out of place.

    Everybody looks put together. Families sitting in neat rows, kids dressed nice, smiles all around. You know in your head they aren’t perfect—but it sure feels like they are.

    And you feel like you don’t fit in. Like everyone else can see it too.

    Here’s the truth: none of us really feel like we fit in.

    We’re all sinners. We struggle to understand. And even when we do understand, we forget it the moment hard times hit.

    But here’s the good news: that’s not just you. That’s everyone. No matter how good a front they put on. And it’s by design.

    Even the apostles—the ones who walked side by side with Jesus—were wrecks too.

    They didn’t grasp who He was, even when He told them plainly. Peter could declare, “You are the Christ,” and then turn around and get rebuked as Satan because he didn’t want Jesus talking about the cross.

    They argued about who was the greatest. More than once.

    They saw Him feed thousands of people with almost nothing—twice—and still thought He was scolding them about bread when He warned about the leaven of the Pharisees.

    When the pressure was on, they folded. Peter denied Him. Most of them ran away when He was arrested. Thomas wouldn’t believe until he touched the wounds.

    Even after the resurrection, they hid behind locked doors, afraid of what might happen next. And later, after Pentecost, Peter still had to be corrected by Paul for pulling back from Gentile believers.

    In other words—they never had it all together here.

    But here’s what they did do: once they saw the truth, they never let go. They still stumbled, still sinned, still misunderstood—but they knew Jesus was Lord, and they would not deny Him. Most of them died because of it.

    Jesus used them, imperfect as they were, and He finished His work in them. Not on this earth, but in the end.

    It’s the same for us. We don’t “arrive” in this life. We don’t ever believe perfectly, understand completely, or apply it flawlessly. That’s by design, even if we don’t get it.

    And still—Jesus wants us. He needs us. He uses us.

    Look at it this way: if the guys who were with Jesus almost all the time for 3 years didn’t get it, do you really think you’re going to be able to understand from where you are? I mean, we understand intellectually from reading the Bible, but we can’t really know until it’s written on our hearts. In due time.

    So the next time you feel out of place in a church pew, remember: the apostles didn’t belong either, at least not by appearances. But Jesus made them His. And He’ll do the same with you.

    PS – One of the best things we can all do is to actually spend time in the Word.

    That’s why I think it’s a good idea to own a physical copy of the Bible (or several). Reading online or on your phone is great—but it only works as long as the power’s on and the connection’s there.

    Is it likely to go away? Maybe not. Is it possible? Absolutely.

    Either way, there’s no downside to having a hard copy of the most important book ever written.

    You can buy one here on Amazon.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.

  • Just Do What God Puts In Front of You

    Just Do What God Puts In Front of You

    You don’t need to save mankind — that’s already been done.

    Naaman was a Syrian general who had leprosy. He went to Elisha’s house expecting a grand miracle, but Elisha didn’t even come outside. He just sent a messenger telling Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River.

    Naaman was insulted. The Jordan was muddy, and he thought the command was beneath him. But his servants reasoned with him: “If the prophet had asked you to do something hard, you would have done it. Why not this simple thing?”

    Naaman humbled himself, did as he was told, and was healed.

    His pride almost kept him from it.

    There’s a bit of Naaman in all of us.

    We want to do good, solve problems, make an impact. But instead of doing the small things God puts in our path, we chase something big — something that might get us recognition.

    See a hungry family on the street? You could hand them a meal.

    Or you could decide to start a food pantry.

    One looks “bigger,” but which one do you think God cares about in that moment?

    We can’t see the whole picture or connect all of God’s dots. The one simple thing we dismiss may matter more than the results of our big plans.

    A kind word, given at just the right time, might keep someone from a disastrous choice. You may never know all the future effects as they extend past your life here.

    But we don’t need to see the future to do the right thing now.

    The short-term results might not look like much, and if something happens far in the future it won’t be tied back to what you did today.

    So nobody celebrates.

    Maybe that’s the real problem — we want the pat on the back more than we want to obey God.

    But God celebrates when we obey.

    Remember the widow who put two pennies in the Temple box?

    Jesus said she gave more than all the people giving large amounts for show.

    The big job — saving the world — is finished. What God asks is smaller: just do what He puts in front of you. If we all did that, the world would look very different.

    Naaman found healing in obedience. We might also.

    PS – Last week I talked about how it might be a good idea to get a physical copy (or copies) of the Bible if you don’t already have one. Reading electronically is great, but there’s no guarantee it will always be available. It can be turned off with the flick of a switch.

    Is it likely? Who knows. Is it possible? Certainly.

    Is there any downside to having a hard copy of the most important book ever written?

    You can buy one here on Amazon.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you buy something — anything — after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.