Munching the Pachyderm.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mk 16:15

We just returned home from vacation. You know the old saying, “I need a vacation from my vacation!” Well, that’s certainly how I feel. When I returned, the reality hit me of a million things that need my attention. Youth camp is coming up, the church lawn is screaming for some attention, the people in the nursing homes are wondering why they haven’t been visited, different individuals are needing some serious shepherding, our yard has turned into Sherwood Forest, I am a bit behind in the production of our TV shows, my mother needs me to come and get her so she can move home, there is a wedding just around the corner, financial matters loom…on top of all that there are the regular things of the ministry like sermon preparation and so on. As I have often said in the past, I don’t know how people who have “real jobs” ever get anything done.

That’s where elephant eating comes into play. A native has just downed a few thousand pounds of mammoth meat and scratches his head, “how do I eat this elephant?” The answer has always been the same, “one bite at a time!”

And so, rather than being so overwhelmed with the tasks which loom heavily upon me, I will put one foot in front of another, relying on God’s unfailing grace, strength and wisdom. I will tackle one project at a time. What gets done, I will praise the Lord for as I check that item off the list. What doesn’t get done, oh well…

That brings me to the elephant of the ages, soul-winning and missions. There are about 6 billion souls out there without a Savior. Each needs to hear about the love of Christ for them and of His death on Calvary to save them. Somebody has to tell them and that somebody is me and that somebody is you. Truly, the task is daunting, the elephant is impossible, but we can do it, one bite (or one soul) at a time. Rather than shrinking from the task, let’s run to it. Let us lead a soul to the Lord today, another later this week, another next week, a couple next month. And, sure enough, by God’s unfailing grace, we can manage to munch the pachyderm.