5th Gear = Lush Pasture

5th Gear = Lush Pasture

“The 5th gear lowers engine RPMs at highway speeds, reducing noise and wear and tear.”

As many of you know, one of my favorite Jesus sayings is,

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

And yes, Jesus’ “Life to the full” is what the 5th gear looks like. But few notice what he says just before this, and yet it captures the 5th gear perfectly:

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and
go out, and find pasture. … (Because) … I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:9 &
13 italics added)

“They will go in and go out and find pasture.”

Jesus is saying that when we are living in 5th gear with him, we can “go in & be in” the safety and comfort of our own homes, or our time alone in the mornings with Jesus, or our small group Bible studies, or even in our Sunday morning worship services, surrounded by like-minded friends.

But! But can we find this same 5th gear lush pasture when we are out of those comfortable settings? Can we “graze” on Jesus’ lush pasture of his presence and love and grace … “out there?”

Jesus says we can. And he means it.

If you have ever owned horses, you know that having an abundance of grass is far better than having to provide hay and sweet feed for your horses day in and day out. When you can let the horses out to spend the day grazing on grass, the RPMs lower, as
does the noise, and wear and tear on the body – both for them and for you.

The horses are free – Free! Do not miss that – to roam around, versus being cooped up in a stall all day.

And so it is when we seek to live with Jesus as our shepherd. We are free to move through each day, going in and going out, with a sense of his presence, the lush green pastures of his presence, the safety and provision of his pastures. Let that image flow over you for a moment.

We are not held in a confining stall of a “I have to make this happen in my own power” grind.

One more thought: Jesus’ listeners were farmers and sheep herders. Can you imagine what Jesus’ words meant to those who lived in the rocky, often times desert areas of Israel?

It meant safety, it meant provision, it meant, “I don’t have to stress myself and everyone around me with my white-knuckling way of winding out in 1st , 2nd , and 3rd gears.”

It meant living in Jesus’ 5th Gear.