Showing Up

Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?—Matthew 26:40

I was thinking about a business quote I heard many years ago, “80 percent of success is just showing up.” I could not remember who said it first, but he/she must have been a very smart person. With a little research, I finally tracked down the quote’s originator, Woody Allen. As I read many of his other quotes, I began to wish someone else had said it first. Regardless of the source, there is a good spiritual lesson for each of us, “Show up.”

Whether it be as an employee, a parent, a student, a spouse, or a Christian, show up. Be there! As the fall season begins at Oakland, we are introducing a sermon and small group series entitled, “Rooted.” Roots are a good illustration for us as we often use the Oaktree and oak leaf as a logo. Folks will benefit most from the sermon series if they show up for Sunday morning worship and actually listen to and apply the sermon. The life groups will be beneficial only for those who sign up and then show up each week.

We are saved by grace. We cannot save ourselves, but growing as a follower of Jesus depends upon us showing up. Spiritual disciplines: prayer, a daily quiet time, worship attendance, sacrificially giving, telling our story, and serving are our responsibilities. God does what only God can do: save us, forgive us of our sins, and transform us into Jesus’ image. Then we must do what only we can do, show up! God will not do for us what we must do ourselves.

Jesus warned the Disciples in the Upper Room that they would all fall away from Him that night (Matthew 26:31). Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (vs. 35).  Jesus warned Peter to pray. Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him. Upon returning and finding them sleeping, Jesus commented, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour” (vs. 40)?

The secret to success in prayer is to keep praying. The key to standing up to temptation is to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and pray. I can do only what I can do. I cannot make God answer prayer and bless me. Like the water that comes out of the shower in my bathroom. Plumbers, the water authority, and someone else makes that happen. But I can stand under the shower head when the water comes out. I can show up each day to be cleansed.

The same is true spiritually. I cannot transform my heart and soul from the weak and fallen person that I am into the child of God Jesus sees in me, but, I can show up in prayer, show up in worship, show up in reading God’s word, show up in giving, and show up in positioning myself under the shower head of God’s blessings.

Yes, much of the success of growing into the image and likeness of Jesus is showing up. If I do my part and show up where Jesus instructs me to be, then God through the Holy Spirit will do God’s part of transforming and using me each day. Where do you need to show up, today? Your walk with the Lord? At home, at work, or in a relationship? Showing up is 80 percent of success on our part. The rest may not be up to us, but we must show up to receive and to contribute.

Randy Bain is the Senior Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA 15902. You may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.