Rodeo
I was told about a recent rodeo that happened in my home town. I could picture in my mind—the buckjumpers easing themselves onto the back of the beast they would attempt to conquer as it waited in the holding chute. Man and beast readying themselves, and as the gate bursts open, they move to oppose each other—the rider trying to lock onto the back of the beast—the beast continually erupting with powerful surges of energy in an attempt to undo the man’s hold and rid itself of the irritating burden on its back. Both are determined to succeed over the other. It’s a ride that lasts a few seconds, yet, for each buckjumper, staying on the raging beast for just one second more than other riders, is the goal, for that extra one second will bring the rewards—a reputation as one of the best and the cash prize.
Most of us may never attempt buckjumping, and my hunch is that’s because we would rather avoid the aftereffects our body will remind us of for many days. Surely, with all the bruising, bone crunching, jolting and jarring, it’s one of the most unpleasant and uncomfortable ways to try and earn a reward.
In thinking about this, I wondered if maybe we actually mimic a buckjumper sometimes in the way we do life and in attempting to gain rewards for ourselves outside of God’s prescribed method, and what drives us to even try?
I can think of one reason, one that gives Edenic vibes, or rather, a woman and a talking serpent in the middle of the garden vibes.
In thinking about this, I wondered if maybe we actually mimic a buckjumper sometimes in the way we do life and in attempting to gain rewards for ourselves outside of God’s prescribed method, and what drives us to even try?
It’s probably fair to say that we all like to feel good and know that we hold some degree of importance. Such feelings are enjoyable and rewarding. It’s when the drive or motive for these become distorted that we venture into murky territory. Today, we still experience the devastating fallout of Eve’s and then Adam’s distorted reasoning to feel good and have importance.
The act of buckjumping is not restful, peaceful or quietening, and neither is a gnawing sense of discontent that comes from distancing ourselves from God and going after rewards elsewhere.
Unfortunately for us, the atmosphere we live and breathe in is too often filled with messages that tell us we do not yet have enough, or worse still, we are not enough. And apparently, the world that gives these messages can supply us with what is necessary for success—for a price, of course, with absolutely no guarantees.
On one hand, we don’t dare go as far to claim we are destitute of God’s favour, but on the other, we can be tempted with certain niggling thoughts. You may know the kind I’m referring to. It’s those thoughts that suggest that unless I have certain things or look a certain way, I cannot be fulfilled, and thus not gain the reward.
Too often there is the temptation to lock onto something other than God, hoping it will bring us a good reward. We may feel a momentous thrill, but it only lasts a short while. When the timer blasts the end of the round, we know it took a lot out of us, left us wounded and kidding ourselves that it was worth it.
You no doubt know that it is a fruitless endeavour to chase after the wind in an attempt to capture it. As a young child, I played a game of doing just that and was 100% unsuccessful, and today the wind remains an ever-shifting force that is impossible to tame.
Attempting to gain eternal rewards outside of God’s providences is just as fruitless, for the standards and promises the world sets before us are nothing but tempting illusions, ever shifting and uncertain. Yet such attempts continue to be a very popular preoccupation for many people.
We are God’s crowning act of creation on Earth and God alone gives to us true rewards in this life and the assurance of life eternal. He offers this as a gift because we could never earn it. All we have to do is bring ourselves to Him and accept Him, as our Lord and Saviour in our lives.
God doesn’t want us ignorant or forgetful of His true reward.
God is our exceedingly great reward
(Genesis 15:1).
There’s a sure reward for those who sow righteousness (Proverbs 11:18).
Our confidence in Him has great reward (Hebrews 10:35).
He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Surely these rewards are of greater worth than any worldly prize.
One of the most popular posters sold and distributed in and around ATSIM circles depicts Jesus with outstretched arms and a kindly gaze. The caption paraphrases Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus very appropriately used the analogy of a yoke, a wooden halter-like implement put over the shoulder of animals to keep them together, uniting their strength to pull whatever they are harnessed to. An inexperienced animal would learn to pull effectively by being yoked to the experienced animal, which is the one that bears the greater part of the burden.
Jesus’ invitation is for anyone who feels weary and burdened. Is your life made weary from chasing empty rewards? Are you burdened by a never satisfied craving to have more and be more because you’ve bought into the lie that you are a have not? Jesus offers the answer—Himself.
I encourage you to go to Jesus, join your weakness to His strength, willingly let Him lead you in truth and learn from Him, ask Him to take your burden and replace it with His easy yoke and light burden. He is able and faithful to do this.
Life without Jesus’ leading can be one wild ride Being yoked to Jesus brings true peace and contentment.
May we daily unite ourselves to Christ, and like the apostle Paul “…press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).