How big is your carpet ?
I had a job working as a loader in a haulage company. Each day a large lorry would arrive full of carpets to be unloaded and reloaded onto other lorries to continue their journies.
I started off with quite a good idea, and from what I thought the right motives, I would pick the smallish rolls of carpets, throw them over my shoulder and whilst the others were labouring in pairs to remove the long heavy rolls, I would move something within my capabilities onto the out-going lorry.
That was until one of the "old hands" spotted what I was up to....
"Hey you, you're not just picking the little ones...grab the other end of this one !"
I was then struggling with the heavy ones like the others.
In our spiritual lives we can be picking the "small rolls of carpets". We can think we are getting somewhere, but not achieving much of value.
The Christmas Story of Jesus's birth, the good moral teaching of Jesus, we can "lift quite easily" and we are happy with, but Jesus's claim to be God is far "too heavy" for us.
So how do we move these "heavy carpets" ?
I certainly wasn't expected to move the carpets on my own, I had help.
If we want help understanding the Gospel, God can help us.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Jas:1:5
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew:7:7 - 8
If we are doing a job "beyond us" look to the encouragement from God's Word that God is with us, and will equip us for the task he wants us to do.
"But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Mark:13:9 - 11
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians:4:13
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah:41:10
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts:1:8
Author Michael Fowler January 2001
