Devotions for Week of September 17, 2000
Charlotte's Web
I have a pet spider. I like to call her Charlotte. She's not very pretty, though she is incredibly efficient and tidy. She is able to impact an area much larger than herself because she understands her talents and skills. You might ask, "How is this so?"
Each evening, Charlotte spins her web at my front porch. First, she sets her anchor pieces. She knows that if she doesn't have her web anchored properly, it won't hold when the wind or storms come. Once she has her anchor established, she then moves on to build her beautiful and magnificent web. Each section is meticulously formed with substance from with her own being. She is giving of herself to create this masterpiece. In order to create each section, she must rise and she must fall to cover the full area she intends to reach. By doing this, she is able to reach and enjoy food from a much greater reach than that of her physical body.
I want to be like Charlotte. I want you to be like Charlotte.
We need to know what our anchor is (really, who our anchor is!) and we need to be sure that we are anchored securely. Jesus wants to be our anchor (Hebrews 6:16-20). That means He is the center of everything we do, core to who we are. If we are looking for several different things to be our anchor (God and money and job after college and recognition from friends, etc.), our web of influence will not be secure because we will be spreading our "anchors" all over the place. We must focus on Jesus as the anchor for everything in our lives. He is the chief cornerstone!
Charlotte builds her web each evening with diligence. Every inch of her web is formed from the substance that can only be found within her. She must give of herself to create this magnificent web. If she tires of contributing to this effort, the work is not completed. We must choose to give of ourselves to allow the web of our lives to be what God intends. No one else can make our lives what we want them to be. We must make the choice to set Jesus as our anchor. We must make the choice to complete the work God has for us. We must make the choice to be obedient.
Did I mention that that Charlotte creates her web each evening? This means that every day she chooses to give of herself in order to be filled up with food. Likewise, in Luke 9:23 Jesus tells us that "if anyone would come after" him "he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow" Jesus! Every day. We do not make a choice once to last forever. It is a daily decision to allow Jesus to be the anchor of our lives.
Lastly, Charlotte must both coast down and work her way up her web in order to complete her task. Life with Jesus is not intended to be an all downhill, easy life. Likewise, it is not intended to be an all up-hill, difficult life. There are some of both in our pursuits after Jesus. Read the Psalms and hear David's cry for justice against his enemies, and also hear his joy for God's victories in his life. We must take the good with the bad but, when Jesus is our strong foundation, we know where to go in times of trouble as well as in times of joy.
Charlotte's web has a reach much greater than that of her own physical body. When she anchors her web properly, gives of herself to build it and faces the necessary ups and downs, she is able to expand her circle of influence. Now, her circle of influence is for the purpose of catching food. Her sustenance.
Visualize your circle of influence as a way to "catch" souls for Christ. Jesus wants us to be fishers of men (and women). We can do this effectively if we will set our anchor securely in Jesus Christ, give of ourselves, and work through life's ups and downs with Jesus by our side. If this is truly how we are living, those people in our circle of influence (friends, co-workers, classmates, dormmates) will surely see Jesus in us!
Scriptures for reading and meditation:
