Don't Let Pride Get in the Way of Purpose: Unleash Your Potential By Listening to Rocks

I know what your thinking: He finally snapped. He's totally lost his mind.

The jury is still out on that, but stick with me; reserve judgement until the end. Then you can call me crazy if you please.

So what do rocks have to do with your divine purpose and potential? I thought you'd never ask:

The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Luke 19:37b - 40

Hunting Rose Rocks

Damian and Georgia's new favorite pastime is hunting rose rocks. If you're not from Oklahoma you might not be familiar with rose rocks, but they are exactly what they sound like: rocks that look like rose buds.

So when we leave Norman proper for the outskirts of town where Grandpa and Grandma live, the agenda is pretty much set in stone (bad joke, I know). Georgia is so obsessed with rocks that she will squat down to pick up any that she sees, which means stopping every sixty seconds or so. Then she stands up and toddles further down the path.

We have a new favorite spot where there are hundreds of rose rocks, begging to be noticed. Some are shy though, just barely poking through the dirt. Walk a quarter-mile down the lane heading east until you see the clearing in the circle drive. The trees have been bull-dozed ostensibly for new home construction, so the land is nothing but a sea of rusty red dirt. Look down while you walk and you can't go but a few paces without spotting some interesting stones.

I try to carry Georgia to protect her from ticks and copperheads and poison ivy, but she'll have none of it. She must explore. She must find those stones.

The Stones Already Cry Out

Last time out we found a double rose rock. Siamese stones that just couldn't make the split. And the result is glorious.

In that moment, I couldn't help but think about Luke 19:40, "the stones will cry out."

I've got news for you. They already do.

I know Jesus was speaking literally. But examining this two-headed rose rock I could practically hear it screaming praise to God. His creation is good right down to some of the most boring things on earth: rocks.

But boring as they might seem, even an ordinary rock is an amazing thing. It can't help but give praise to God.

Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? Job 12:8-9

The rocks and the fish know their place, they know their purpose. Do you?

God is Obvious

Someone asked a well-known atheist what he would do if he found out God actually did exist. He said that he'd ask God why He tried so hard to hide himself.

If I could respond, I would say, "Pick up a rock, and put it to your ear. Listen very hard. Can you hear it shouting?"

Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

We look at a sunrise or a snowstorm or a lightning strike, and God is obvious. Just because we can explain these things with science doesn't mean they're not miraculous.

But with pride in our hearts we ignore God. We build up idols out of the very stones we try so hard not to listen to.

Here's the deal. Our purpose is the same as the rocks: to glorify God.

Our sin nature ruined that purpose. Newly equipped with the knowledge of good and evil, we deem ourselves wise, but when we rejected God we "became fools" (Rom. 1:22).

Like a Rock

Apologist Ravi Zacharias explains evil like this: a violation of purpose. We must reject evil and humble ourselves before our God. When we do that we restore our purpose, and God will unleash our potential. He wants us to thrive, to flourish, and to produce fruit. But that cannot happen until we turn from pride and false gods, and become more rock-like.

But don't underestimate the power of a stone.

After all it was one smooth stone that fell the Philistine giant, a veritable synecdoche for evil (1 Sam. 17:49).

And then there's this:

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:22-23

The proud and self-righteous rejected Jesus, and cast Him aside like an ordinary stone. But through that process, Jesus became the rock of our salvation.

Call me crazy, but I'm going to try harder to listen to the stones.

--

Your homework is to read Romans 1 and see how pride leads to a violation of purpose (evil). Do that, then come back and subscribe.