Chaos Into Order
[This week the Gas Street Operations Team look at Jesus from the perspective of their own roles]
Jesus as the Finance Manager by Matt Smith
John 15:10-11 (NIVUK)
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
The history of bookkeeping can be traced back to ancient civilisations such as the Babylonians. From the Jews at the time of Jesus and the Romans, through medieval times to the current era, recording and describing the movement of money and trade have been important. Bookkeeping is helpful in describing quite complex systems, but at its core is beautifully simple. A simple equation needs to balance at each point in the process for the system to work. This balance creates the perfect framework around which the complexity makes sense and chaos is brought into order.
In John 15, Jesus is spending time with his disciples and teaching them. In these two verses he explains how it is he can fully experience his Father’s love: simply, if he does what the Father tells him, the result is the fullness of the Father’s love and joy in his life. You do the same, he says, with my commands, and you will know the same love and joy.
My bookkeeping brain likes a simple equation and to my mind Jesus’ statement qualifies. Follow and obey Jesus and you will experience his love, wellbeing and joy. Now that might sound a little clinical or formulaic, but I think there is such power in the simplicity of it. What an amazing gift to know the secret of experiencing love and joy!
I used to work with an accountant whose clients would present a shoebox full of papers and receipts as a record of their annual operations. It seemed to me to be a complete mess, but one receipt at a time, one equation or process at a time and a clear picture formed.
I am sure you have a complex set of circumstances, but Jesus offers perfect but simple truths throughout the Bible that can bring your life into balance. He is the master of bringing chaos into order, the Great Bookkeeper.
Prayer: Father God, I ask for the simplicity of your truths to shine a light on my chaos, to bring clarity where there is confusion, peace where there is turmoil and joy where there is sadness.