Gumdrop Faith

Here's a scary thought: You're reclining in a dental chair, your mouth wide open, and your dentist says, "Oh no". This story isn't quite that disturbing, but several years ago my dentist was attempting to replace a crown when he muttered, "This isn't working". On a previous visit, I'd been given a temporary crown. I was told this appointment would be "quick and simple." The dentist only needed to remove the temporary crown and set the new one in place. Mere child's play... Then I began to wonder, "Why is it taking so long?"  

After being poked and prodded for several minutes with a plethora of dental instruments, I began to wonder if the staff might resort to a hammer and chisel. Finally, a dental assistant excused herself, stepping out for a moment. She emerged with a gumdrop, placed it on the temporary crown, instructing me to bite down hard and open my mouth quickly. Voila! The temporary crown popped out. It actually worked!  I couldn't help but chuckle. Here I sat in a modern dental office surrounded by millions of dollars of equipment, none of which was successful. Instead the dental team relied on a two cent gumdrop to get the job done. (I wonder if they added the gumdrop to my bill...)

Following Jesus is a lot like that. It's not always easy...but it's simple. I Corinthians 1:27 informs us, "God chose the foolish things of the world [the simple things- BC] to shame the wise."  In verse 20 Paul asks, "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" God could use His complex "dental equipment" in carrying out His plans, but He chooses to work through simple "gumdrops". (Like us!) 

Think about it. How did He save mankind? With two pieces of wood fashioned into a cross! What about all the complicated commandments in the Bible? Jesus simplified hundreds of laws into two simple principles: "Love God and love others" (Matt.22:37-40). And, when you boil it down, what does it really mean to be a Christian? Simply believing that Jesus is who He says He is, and spending the rest of your life imitating Him. It's all so simple! It doesn't require a lot of expensive "equipment" to follow Jesus, just simple "gumdrop faith".