Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

There are 14,008 acorns in my front yard. That number may not be exact but we have a gob of the little oak nuts everywhere. Most of the time I view acorns as eyesores on my otherwise unattractive yard. Their main function is to make Brandon tippy-toe around them as he retrieves the mail. He makes me think of the old TV show "Kung Fu" as he works his way to the mailbox. His steps look like some martial art form. Careful, Grasshopper!

What are acorns good for? Most of the time I view them as a nuisance. I know. Squirrels eat them. Deer eat them. Koreans even make staple dishes with acorns but then Koreans eat some other things that I would not feed to the neighbor's cat, much less set on the dinner table for me and my family to eat. Culinary preferences aside, I have not seen much use for acorns until today. Today my heart has changed. Today I intend to lift the lowly acorn to heights worthy of my admiration. I have found in the modest acorn a model for Christians.

What is an acorn? Well, it is the seed of an oak tree. It is used both for nutrition of animal and insects, and as we have discussed, some Korean dietary plans and for propagating a new generation of oak trees. Hmm, so not only is an acorn a food source but it is also the means to grow a new tree. That sounds like something very familiar to me, the gospel. God's word contains the seed for new life in Christ, the gospel, and provides nourishment for Christians to grow.

Oak trees to do not strain and struggle to produce acorns. Acorns are the natural product of oaks. Oak trees do not worry that their acorns will not be eaten or that they will not grow into new trees. Oaks do not feel that they are not good enough to spread their acorns neither do they fret about doing the job well. Also, they do not wring their branches over what other trees might think of them or that they might be made fun of for dropping their acorns. They just do it.

Christians have seeds to sow too. We have a God-given commission to share the gospel with the lost. But unlike the oak tree, we often stutter and stammer over what should be a natural byproduct of new life in Christ. We do worry about what people might think or say. We do fret that we might not know enough to share the gospel or that we might do a poor job and in doing so we fail to cast the gospel out to those who are in need of salvation.

Granted, oak trees are not self-conscious beings and we are. We make excuses for not doing what should come naturally to us. Ephesians 2:10 teaches us that we are created in Christ unto good works and part of that is telling others, sowing seeds.

As you meet people in your daily life, I pray that you (and I) will be found to exemplify Jesus and openly live your faith. Share the gospel when you have a God-given opportunity. Will someone think you are a nut? Maybe, but if so just tell them you are being an oak tree and sharing your acorns of truth. After all, sometimes we ought to feel like a nut...for Jesus.

Because He lives,

Robby