A Lesson from Buzz Lightyear

Camp Venango for Jesus – July 2011 – Day 4

Good Morning Camper! 

It’s your last day of camp, so read the verse one more time (maybe you have it memorized, and can recite it in your head. If so – Woohoo! Good for you!)

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  John 14:16-17

Do you realize what an awesome God we have? He’s huge – bigger than we can ever imagine – infinitely big.

I am a Toy Story fan and one line in the movie makes me chuckle every time I hear it. Buzz clicks out his wings, stretches his arms, and says, “To infinity and beyond!” Did you laugh? I mean, really, there is no end to infinity, so how is Buzz going to go beyond it? Yeah well, that was before he knew that he was just a toy, a child’s plaything. His realization that he was just a toy was a sad moment in the movie. But when he accepted what he was, he became a better toy (and so much more likeable!).

It’s the same for us. When we realize who and what we are – little people (itsy-bitsy compared to God, as if there is any comparison), and sinners to boot. When we accept our short comings, weaknesses, smallness, and our sins, and acknowledge how great God is – we become better people.

Have you done this? (And it won’t hurt to do it again, today, tomorrow, for the rest of your life.) Thank God for his love and for sending Jesus to die in your place for your sins. Get saved from a life of meaningless toil. Get in touch with the help and power that is in you – the Holy Spirit who is all powerful because he is God.

Then you can live a joy filled powerful life. 

Power. Buzz thought he had great power: a laser beam, a life sustaining helmet, direct contact with Star Command, and the ability to fly. But no, he only had blinking lights and sounds and gimmicks. The best he could do was fall with style. Just like us. In our own power all we can do is light up a very small space on our good days, make some noise, and rarely can we even fall with style. 

But when we put ourselves, the person God made us to be, in His hands, he supplies the power and will use us (YOU and me) for His glory. 

Prayer:

Ah Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

I may have asked you this before, but I come again, knowing you love to have your children call out to you, Abba, Father, Daddy, God. Come into my life fresh and new. And again I thank you and praise you, Father God for all things you’ve created and all things you do, through Jesus your Son, by the Holy Spirit. Amen, amen, amen.