Scripture
Our verse for today comes from John 20:30, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.”
Background
When someone makes a movie, there are generally two versions made – the one that is shown in the theaters and the one that was originally filmed. The difference between what we see on the screen and what was captured on film is what the editors and others decided did not need to be in the final version, for whatever reason. Besides the bloopers and mistakes that need to be deleted, scenes can be removed because the movie needs to be shorter, or perhaps the scenes themselves turn out to be superfluous to the storyline. But whatever the case, those in charge attempt to remove as much as possible to ultimately produce the finest product possible. But in real life, we don’t have that ability, do we? We don’t get to edit our actions, words, and reactions to produce the finest “me” that we can. The first take is the only take. The rehearsal and the performance are one and the same. We can’t rewind and delete. The bloopers are left in, and there’s no director’s cut that shows how things could have been. There’s reality, and that’s it. There are many good things about being older, but looking back over the myriad of decisions I made and wishing I had done many of them differently is not one of them. I wonder of my 50-plus years, how much would I choose to leave in after sending it through the editor’s room?
Application
Of course, editing yourself before you throw it out there is always the better option. It’s part of the work of the Holy Spirit, to submit my natural acting inclinations to the directing of my Lord and Savior. That ultimately produces the finest product possible, one reflective of Jesus. Sometimes the movie editing takes longer than the actual filming of the movie. Tough choices have to be made, and a lot of money is at stake. For us, learning to submit to the Spirit can be a lengthy process as well. But much more is at stake than money and notoriety. Our relationship with our loving Creator is on the table, and we don’t want it to be cut off and end up on the floor.
Charge
As we seek Him today, leave out of your today all that you wish you had left out when you would get to the end of the day. Let the Holy Spirit make of you His desired version.
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