Saying Yes And Meaning It

I needed a day to refresh my soul.
A drive to Lancaster County was in order.
The beauty of the farmland, the simplicity of the Amish, the quieter pace of life called me.

It was one of those days when rain was in the forecast, but not until later in the day.
It was one of those days when the sun teases you with its game of hide and seek.
It was one of those days when I breathed in tranquility as I drove along.

I was listening to Rich Mullins on my iPod.
Many songs I knew well and sang along.
Some I do not know as well.

Then I heard it.
The chorus spoke right to my heart.
Pay attention, it seemed to say.

At a traffic light I looked at the title of the song.
It seemed like the word was written in another language.
I had never seen that word before.

I repeated the song and listened again.
The song was about saying yes to the Lord.
It was all about saying yes.

As I drove and pondered what I heard, I thought of Leave It To Beaver.
I watched that show growing up.
The Cleavers: the father and mother, Wally and Beaver.

Problems arose; lessons were learned with the help of a strong father and loving mother.
The brothers had their moments but there was love and loyalty between them.
Of course an episode was not complete without Eddie Haskell.

Eddie Haskell is the one I thought about as I listened to the Rich Mullins’ song.
Eddie Haskell, the quintessential sycophant.
The person who praises powerful people in order to get their approval.

Two faced.
Insincere.
Sugary sweet, until you turn your back.

I do not want to be an Eddie Haskell to my Lord.

Parents recognize that sycophantic trait in their own children and will not stand for it.
The integrity of your word is important.
There must not be a hint of duplicity.
What you say you will do, you do!

Above all, my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, or you will be condemned. (James 5:12)

We must not be a sycophant.
We must say what we mean and mean what we say.
When we say, Yes, to the Lord we better mean, Yes.

Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your, Yes, be yes and your No, no; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:34-37)

Your word matters to God.
Your word matters to other people.
How will they see God clearly in you if your walk and your talk don’t match?

There is no place for an Eddie Haskell mentality in the Kingdom.
There is no place for someone to look good only when he is being watched.
Your true character is who you are when no one is looking.

But God is always looking.
God always sees.
Even knowing what He knows and seeing what He sees, He still loves us.
Amazing!

So, back to the word in the Rich Mullins song.
The word that looked as if it was in another language.
Alrightokuhhuhamen.

It is really four words put together.
Alright.
Ok.
Uh huh.
Amen.

It is, Yes, Lord.
It is saying yes and meaning it.
No to being an Eddie Haskell.
No to being a sycophant.

No buttering God up to make points.
It can’t be done!
There are no points to be made.

We can never rack up enough points to satisfy the wrath of God.
The wrath of God on a sinful people like us.
Sinful people who rarely have a pure motive.

Sycophants think they can schmooze their way into heaven.
Sinners saved by grace know better.
Sycophants rely on themselves to get ahead.
Sinners saved by grace rely on their precious Lord Jesus.

Jesus, who said, Yes, in the Garden; it was the victory cry.
Jesus, who said, Yes, taking the punishment that we deserved.
Jesus who said, Yes, and meant, Yes, when He said it to His Father.

Oh, to be like Jesus.
Not a hint of hypocrisy or duplicity.
One way to start is to say that impossible word: Alrightokuhhuhamen.

_____________________________________________________________________
Alrightokuhhuhamen (by Rich Mullins)

Well the Lord said let there be and there was
On the earth below and in the sky above
Well then He knocked off work
‘Cause it was Friday night
Come Saturday morning
Everything was just alright
Sure enough

The Lord said let man choose and man did
There’s been sorrow and trouble
In the world ever since
But there’s hope for us still
In the Word God says
If we just be smart enough to just say yes
Smart enough to say yes to Him and say it

Alrightokuhhuhamen
Alrightokuhhuhamen
As it was in the beginning
It will be until the end
Alrightokuhhuhamen

Now the Lord said Church you better love
‘Cause it’s a wounded world
That needs a healing touch
And He gave us a promise
And He gave us a job
He’ll be with us but the work is up to us
It’s up to us
And the Lord is sure speaking to you
So set aside your pride and your anger too
To say that time is short
Just means the time is now
Every tongue will confess
And every knee is going to bow
Every knee is gonna bow
Alrightokuhhuhamen,
Alrightokuhhuhamen

You can argue with your Maker
But you know that you just can’t win
Alrightokuhhuhamen,
Alrightokuhhuhamen

Don’t have to be no hunger
Don’t have to be no war
Don’t love this world any longer
Better learn how to say yes to the Lord
Alrightokuhhuhamen
Alrightokuhhuhamen

You can argue with your Maker
Or know the joy of saying yes to, to Him
Alrightokuhhuhamen
Alrightokuhhuhamen
You can argue with your Maker

As it was in the beginning
It will be until the end
Alrightokuhhuhamen

Alrightokuhhuhamen
As it was in the beginning