Be Spontaneous
December 9, 2002
Spontaneity is crucial to emotional well being. A
spontaneous man responds quickly to what he's feeling and to
what's happening around him. Some men flee spontaneity. At times
they feel like letting go. They want to express themselves and
have a little fun. But they fear if they do they'll make those
around them uncomfortable. So what do they do? They stuff their
feelings. They disconnect from those feelings of spontaneity.
Since men view other men as competitors, they
don't want to appear foolish, lest they give an edge to the
competition. I'm reminded of the story of a man who stopped at a
country store while driving through the south. While paying for
a soft drink, the man noticed a group of men playing cards with
a Great Dane.
"Can that dog really play cards?" the tourist
asked.
"You bet."
"That's incredible!" the man exclaimed.
"Not really," said the clerk.
"You're kidding," said the visitor.
"Naw, he ain't too bright. Whenever he gets a good
hand, he wags his tail."
We're afraid if we act spontaneously, we'll give
away our winnings. And we don't want to do that. But Jesus
certainly acted spontaneously. While traveling through Samaria
He stopped at a well and spoke with a Samaritan woman (John
4:7-38). While walking into Jericho He had lunch with a
tax-collector (Luke 19:1-10). There's no indication in the text
that either of these meetings were preplanned. Spontaneous acts
like these got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders.
Why? Because He didn't fit into their mold of what a religious
leader should do. But that didn't stop him, did it?
It's refreshing to meet someone spontaneous like
Jesus. Maybe one way you could be more like him is to loosen up
a bit. Forget the mold you feel you have to fit into. Give it a
try this week--do something spontaneous--buy an unexpected gift
for your wife or kids, take your wife on an unexpected date,
take a different route to work. If you feel God prompting you to
talk to someone about their spiritual pilgrimage, go for it.
Give an outrageous tip to a food server. Be spontaneous!
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