S04E043, Crutches Aren’t About Weakness, Andy B 2 Minute Video

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Crutches can be a hindrance to getting on with life, easily. However, if you’ve broken your leg, it is a necessity to enable you to walk, while your leg heals.

Christians can be negatively accused of using our relationship with Jesus, or our choice to become a Christian, as some sort of ultra-negative thing.

As a Christian, I’m happy to state that I lean on Jesus more than I’ve ever leaned on any other crutches in my life.

I’ve used all sorts of things to help me get through life, from drinking alcohol, to working harder than my body can cope with, or caffeine to get me up in the morning, or keep me going late into the night.

And, like anything else, while a glass of wine can be good for your heart, a bottle a night is not; while a cup of tea in the morning can help you kick start your day, consuming caffeine after lunchtime is not good for your health.

This isn’t about moderation, but the very opposite – actually it’s about developing a healthy and absolute dependency on Jesus Christ, who is the only thing we need to wake us up and sustain us through each and every day.

We instinctively know that restricting the air we breathe is a bad thing. As Christians, our relationship with Jesus IS the air we breathe, so let’s not restrict how much Jesus we allow in our life.

We need ever more of Him, and He is ever there to supply us with more of Him, for the lives we live – to build God’s kingdom here on earth; to be Jesus’ hands and feet.

Just a thought...

Andy B

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0:00
So, another Andy B, 2 Minute Video, and I was thinking about crutches, and things that help us through life.

0:07
At the moment, I'm not drinking caffeine, and it's a personal choice. It's because I'm on some medication for my heart. And I didn't want to do anything that would unnecessarily make my heart beat faster. Not while I'm getting this sorted! I haven't got to, but it's what I chose to do. Same reason why I've got a beard now. And eventually that will change, God willing.

0:29
But I got thinking about crutches. And it's easy to see somebody with a crutch. And we think of, kind of, the classic they've got a crutch of a broken leg. They've got a cast on, so they use a crutch to help them to walk, because their leg is weak. But that got me thinking about bones, and how I was listening to a doctor talking about bones. And when they break and they fuse back together again, they don't break where they broke. It's just either side, but the actual break is stronger. Because that bit that was weak, is now stronger than it was before.

1:01
I've mentioned Kintsugi, I think it is, Japanese pots where they have a broken pot, and they fix it with gold, and what was broken becomes more valuable. But it's easy to see a pair of crutches and think, Oh, well, they're they're not doing very well. They're quite weak, those people. And look, they've got to have a crutch to help them and support them. And we've got quite a negative, quite a dim view of a crutch.

1:22
I remember at school, very vividly a conversation with somebody who was very much "I am an atheist". And I remember chatting with him, and he said, 'Well, you're only a Christian 'cos it's a crutch to get you through life'. And I remember, this is the vivid part, I remember saying, "Yeah, you're dead, right it is! Because without God, I couldn't get through life very well." In fact, I couldn't get through life at all. I'd be miserable and depressed.

1:44
We see crutches, don't we, as things to to help people who aren't doing very well. But, actually, crutches aren't just there for that. They're to support the body, in order that strength can come. Yes, of course there are people who use crutches for different reasons. But I'm thinking about broken bones here, and the crutch isn't permanent. It's a short term aid. And, eventually, the bones heal, and you learn to walk on that bone again, and you learn to trust your leg, and of you go.

2:10
But it's easy to think, well, I'm weak, therefore, I need this crutch, and I can't do very well. But, as Christians, yeah, if anybody accuses me of needing a crutch to get on with life, and Jesus is that crutch? Absolutely right you are! 'Cos I need a crutch. I need Jesus in my life. Because He's the reason why I can get through.

2:27
Maybe you've given up caffeine too. Nothing wrong with caffeine in the morning. I quite enjoy watching Jo having herfirst coffee, and waking up through it. I miss doing that, with my cup of tea. But there's nothing wrong with crutches. Let's not have a negative, or a dim view, of a crutch.

2:42
A crutch enables us to do something else. It's an aid, it's an aid, and it helps us.

2:47
Just a thought.