You\u2018ve got an 8:00 a.m. class, or a four-hour sales meeting, or you\u2018re kiteboarding from Florida to Cuba.<\/p>\n

Whatever. You\u2018re part of the 21C generation of young adults looking for a quick way to spike your energy level.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, that role has been served by a strong cup of coffee, but these days the latte is pass\u00e9 – the real adrenaline buzz now comes from a can. And a small can at that.<\/p>\n

Enter the energy drink.<\/p>\n

Need to fly through that midterm? Crack open a Red Bull (it \u201cgives you wings\u201d).<\/p>\n

Drained after a night of clubbing? Get back on track with some Monster Energy.<\/p>\n

Got a big project to tackle? Amp it up with Amp, which was spawned by the same folks who brought you Mountain Dew.<\/p>\n

Rockstar and Zipfizz are other options. With colorful names and word-of-mouth buzz, energy drinks have become the fastest growing segment of the soft-drink market. Surveys show that 22 percent of college students are slurping down these sugar-packed and caffeine-fortified cans of juiced-up juice. Now there are some 200 brands of energy drinks following in the wake of Red Bull, the over-hyped daddy of them all.<\/p>\n

At about $3 a pop for an 8-ounce can, what\u2019s the attraction? It\u2018s probably not the taste. Red Bull, for example, tastes something like \u201cliquid Sweetarts\u201d – really, really sweet. The caffeine is a bigger draw, but the reality is that an average energy drink has about the same caffeine content as a weak cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

The most-hyped ingredient, though, is \u201ctaurine\u201d – a nonessential amino acid that sounds pretty testosterone-fueled: taurine \u2013 Taurus – bull (hence \u201cRed Bull\u201d). The presence of taurine in the ingredients has even led to rumors on campus that it\u2018s really bull urine, or bull semen, or bull testosterone added to the drink.<\/p>\n

Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it – that\u2018s really a lot of bull.<\/p>\n

What is clear (or maybe not) is what Red Bull claims its drink can do. Here are just a few of the rather vaguely stated \u201cbenefits\u201d of chugging it down:<\/p>\n

\n
• Improves performance<\/li>\n
• Improves concentration and reaction speed<\/li>\n
• Improves vigilance<\/li>\n
• Improves emotional status<\/li>\n
• Stimulates metabolism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  While a Men\u2018s Fitness<\/em> magazine study showed that there may be some short-term benefit in a Red Bull buzz, the effects may be more psychological than physical.<\/p>\n

  Still, there\u2018s a real appeal to the thought that slamming down a can of Red Bull can turn you from a tired wimp to a stampeding stud or studette. To put it in perspective for the boomers among us, it\u2018s the pop culture equivalent of Popeye scarfing down a can of spinach which, when you think about it, may have been the original can of Red Bull.<\/p>\n

  Whatever the situation, whether facing a final or battling a Brutus, the cry goes out from the tired and fragile among us: \u201cJust gimme the juice!\u201d<\/p>\n

  When the disciples cry out to Jesus in today\u2019s Gospel, \u201cIncrease our faith!\u201d it sounds very much like a similar request for an instant energy boost. \u201cJust gimme the juice!\u201d<\/p>\n

  In the verses immediately preceding our text, Jesus tells them that they have a deep responsibility to not \u201ccause one of these little ones to stumble\u201d in sin (vv. 1-2). Not only that, when someone wrongs them they are to forgive the person who sins against them even \u201cseven times a day\u201d (v. 4).<\/p>\n

  The persistence and energy it takes to guard oneself and others from wrong and to forgive even the repeat offender is daunting. It\u2018s no wonder, then, that the disciples, hearing Jesus\u2019 commands, were suffering from a severe case of spiritual fatigue!<\/p>\n

  Spiritually speaking, the demands of discipleship can leave even the strongest among us feeling tired and defeated. We can become like the pastor who remarked to a clergy colleague, \u201cMinistry would be a great job – if it weren\u2019t for all these people!\u201d<\/p>\n

  It\u2018s during these times of spiritual fatigue that we join the disciples in wanting an energy-cranked shot of faith, and we\u2018ll try to get it in many different ways.<\/p>\n

  For some, the quick fix can be found in the latest seminar, book, retreat or program that brings the rush of a dynamic spiritual \u201chigh.\u201d We figure that all we need is a lot more faith, a lot more time and a lot more energy. We vow to do better and, freshly fueled with new ideas, we plunge back into the grind determined that we\u2019ll be okay and that, finally, everybody\u2019s needs will get met.<\/p>\n

  Problem is that when the effect of the proverbial potion wears off, we\u2018re more burnt than we were before – our time toasted, our energy exhausted.<\/p>\n

  Jesus\u2019 response to \u201cgimme the juice\u201d is to instead give \u2018em some advice. The answer isn\u2019t more faith or a cranked-up, caffeine-fueled ministry \u2013 it\u2019s simply embracing the faith you have, even if it\u2019s only a little bit.<\/p>\n

  Jesus uses the metaphor of a mustard seed – the tiniest of seeds – to symbolize the kind of faith his followers should embrace. Over time, a mustard seed grows, matures, and blossoms. But that takes steady nurture, the right conditions and a patient vision for the long term. In the same way, true faith is the result of the long-haul discipline of discipleship. It starts small and grows gradually, steadily, intentionally.<\/p>\n

  So, the truth is, there\u2019s no faith-shaped Red Bull buzz.<\/p>\n

  There\u2019s Mustard Seed Faith. That\u2019s it. But that\u2019s enough – more than enough.<\/p>\n

  If you want to do well on exams, climb the corporate ladder, mountain bike in the Himalayas, or serve a neighbor, the real energy for execution isn\u2019t found in the bottom of a loudly labeled can. What you really need is proper rest, good nutrition, plenty of good old water (which, even in its bottled form, is usually a lot less than $3) and, if you\u2019re a follower of Christ, a simple faith in God\u2019s ability to use you to do the impossible.<\/p>\n

  Jesus said that even a little faith could cause a mulberry tree, a shrub known for its deep and entangled roots, to be uprooted and \u201cplanted in the sea\u201d (v. 6). Impossible? Absurd? That\u2019s the point. But notice that Jesus doesn\u2019t say how long pulling up those deep roots will take. It may take a manic minute or a lifetime, but with faith even the most stubborn, entangled lives can be moved!<\/p>\n

  What are the impossible tasks in our lives?<\/p>\n

  \n
  • Forgiving others – repeatedly?<\/li>\n
  • Watching out for others?<\/li>\n
  • Getting to the root of relationship problems?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Here\u2019s the good news: The more daunting the task, the weaker we may feel, the more God can work in us and through us if we\u2019ll only have faith. Faith is not about our<\/em> ability to do the job, but God\u2019s<\/em> ability to do the job through us, and we know that with God \u201call things are possible.\u201d What we have to do is slow down, take care, and make ourselves available.<\/p>\n

    And, because faith is more about God\u2019s ability than our ability, it also means that God is the one who gets the credit. Jesus goes on to say that we ought not to think that our oftentimes manic approach to ministry is going to get us the recognition we think we deserve.<\/p>\n

    God is not looking for adrenaline-fueled junkie superstars of faith, but servants who do the simple stuff and who do \u201conly what [they] ought to have done\u201d (v. 10) without seeking the head rush of a reward.<\/p>\n

    Want to improve your performance as a disciple? Want to really improve your \u201cemotional status\u201d and energy for serving others? Kill the quick fix buzz of activity and people-pleasing performance and dive into the freedom of following Christ.<\/p>\n

    All it takes is a little, just a little, bit of faith. That\u2018s the real deal \u2013 no bull.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    You\u2018ve got an 8:00 a.m. class, or a four-hour sales meeting, or you\u2018re kiteboarding from Florida to Cuba. Whatever. You\u2018re part of the 21C generation of young adults looking for a quick way to spike your energy level. Traditionally, that role has been served by a strong cup of coffee, but these days the latte […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n