Why I’ve decided 3G power is all I need for the rest of my life

By Dean Collins

Settling for 3G may seem like a big mistake. After all 4G and now 5G are faster. But only faster, not bigger.

In my ignorance I thought “G” stood for gigabyte. And everyone knows we need as many gigabytes as possible. More gigabytes mean more storage for more information. But it seems to me that gathering more data isn’t always better, because all those sentences and photos and videos contain both truth and lies. And many these days are having trouble distinguishing between the two.

In fact, when you think about it you realize any of us might assume we have the right information just because someone we trust conveyed it. But that assumption comes with two problems.

Two problems

First, it’s entirely possible your trusted source has not double-checked the facts. They may have simply relayed something from their trusted source who shared the information from their trusted source, and no one in this chain of shared data consulted the original source to make sure they were telling truth.

And then the second problem. Smart people are capable of sin. Yes not just accidental, didn’t-realize-my-mistake kind of sin. Some actually sin deliberately! Even smart people we trust have that potential. King Solomon knew this, which is why he explained that sinners will try and entice you. Instead of just directly telling you they are lying, they deceive to increase their status, their power, and their destruction. The prevention to getting caught in deception is fear of the Lord.

It’s not that God wants us to be afraid to come to him. Scripture echoes with God’s love and mercy and his repeated invitations to approach him boldly. But first comes awe of the greatness and the power and wisdom of God. This is what Solomon recommends, and awe is what the disciples experienced in a familiar incident recorded in Mark 4.

Three G’s

It was evening after a busy day, and Jesus said, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” They were leaving a big crowd behind that had heard many parables that day. And the lake wasn’t a small fishing pond. The Sea of Galilee was about thirteen miles wide and eight miles long. Big enough that when a storm came up there could be trouble, particularly at night with limited visibility.

This short story explains why I’m seeking 3G’s. Here Mark tells us about a Great storm, a Great calm, and Great fear. And where was Jesus? Asleep on a pillow. Most preachers and those who speak publicly will tell you that after a sermon or two they are exhausted. Jesus had been speaking to the crowds all day and he fell asleep.

The first G was a great windstorm that came up quickly. The disciples were doing their best, but the waves and wind were winning. At some point, maybe when they weren’t sure they would make it, they awakened Jesus. As Jesus was still stirring, the disciples shouted, “Don’t you care that we are perishing? “ Seems like asking for help might have been a better opening, but panic and fear usually forget their manners.

“Peace! Be Still!” Jesus commanded the storm. Mark called his words a rebuke. Jesus could have spoken softly with the same impact I imagine, but I think the disciples needed some reassurance that he was in it with them and had the power to change the situation with his word

The second G was a great calm. The power and authority of Jesus’ words brought the disciples great calm and relief. The wind ceased, the waves stopped crashing, and now a remarkable stillness settled over the scene. When the great storms begin in our lives we do well to ask Jesus for help. We also do well to speak his Word over our situation. We can do this by proclaiming God’s truth from Scripture over the crisis. His Word is powerful and can bring great calm.

The last G Mark mentioned is great fear. The disciples were awestruck by the power of Jesus in that moment. Jesus had asked them why they were afraid: “Do you still have no faith?” They had seen several miracles in recent days, some probably that very day.

I get it. We’ve all experienced help from God in certain situations, and so we are more confident with him when we bump into something similar. But when a new or bigger crisis suddenly appears, we can easily default to the limited faith in Jesus that the disciples exhibited. This experience had them wondering who and how powerful is this Jesus. The disciples would face more challenges while Jesus continued their training. They would falter and recover many times before they learned to fully rely on Jesus, even when he had departed for heaven.

Three choices

His disciples today—you and I— will continue to have more data and gather it faster. We will continue to see new generations of technology and people. But by now I suspect we’ve all realized that the next generation doesn’t mean there aren’t still flaws. As a human race we continue to be filled with hatred, apathy, prejudice, and pride. And we still sin and are sometimes suckers for deceit and lies.

So I am going to remember and try to live by the 3 G’s

1) Until Jesus returns we will from time to time have Giant storms. It’s a result of the fall. We shouldn’t be surprised.
2) We can call on Jesus and He will deliver Giant calm. Sometimes instantly, sometimes gradually, but always eventually. His peace passes all understanding and is better than anything this world has to offer.
3) We can choose to have Giant fear ( respect and awe) of our almighty, all wise, and ever present God. He is sovereign.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:35-41‬; Proverbs‬ ‭1:2, 5, 7‬, 10-19, 32-33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Yusuf Evli on Unsplash

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