Do You Cooperate with Jesus?

Day 17 of 21-Day Sugar Fast

What does it mean to cooperate with Jesus? This sugar fast has been a real-life lesson on cooperation. When we cooperate with Jesus, we are acting and working together with Him for mutual benefit, and our cooperation has a ripple blessing effect.

My grandson teaches me many things. For example, he likes listening to specific songs, one being Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood “The Tiger Family Trip” song. He will say to me, “Trip.” If I don’t immediately respond, he takes my hand and walks me to where he wants to listen to this song. He wants my cooperation.

It took me a few times of hearing him say “trip” to understand. Truth is, I actually had to ask his mommy what he was saying. I thought he was saying “chip.” So, I videotaped him (thank goodness for technology), and I sent the video to her, so she could interpret for me. Ah, trip, not chip. When I finally understood what he was communicating to me, I cooperated.

Now, I teach him many things too. In fact, I’ve been working on teaching him how to say cooperate. One thing I’ve learned, what we want repeated, we should reward. Repetition is necessary for us to learn, understand, and cooperate.

When James cooperates with me, I recognize him for it. I’ll say, “Thank you for cooperating, James. Can you say, cooperate?” Then I look at him and say cooperate slowly. My son observed me one day and laughed. He said, “Mom, that’s a big word for him.” To which I responded, “I know, that’s why we practice. He will get it, and he will know what it means too.”

Do You Cooperate with Jesus?

Sometimes it takes us a few times of hearing God’s Word to understand. Every now and then, we have to ask others to interpret what God is saying. But once we understand, we have a choice to make. Are we going to cooperate with Jesus?

Being cooperative is marked by a willingness and an ability to work with others. At times, our ability is not yet there, like my grandson doesn’t yet have the ability to say cooperate. But through his willingness and repeatedly working with me and others, he will one day be able to say cooperate, understand it, and do it.

The same is true with us and Jesus. He knows that we may not understand the first time we hear Him direct us. But He gives us many opportunities to listen, gain understanding, and then cooperate.

 Do you cooperate with Jesus?

Don’t Just Listen. Do.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 (NIV)

My grandson James didn’t just want me to listen to what he said, he wanted me to do what he said. So, it is with Jesus. He wants us to listen to Him, understand, and then cooperate.

The first time the Lord directed me to do this 21-Day Sugar Fast, I heard Him. But I didn’t quite understand what it all entailed. I had to learn. I had to research. I had to pray and seek Him. One of the first things I learned and understood was that it would be for 21 days, but then what?

I asked many more questions. How much sugar? What kind of sugar? All sugar? Anything that turns into sugar? When Jesus directed me to give up all sugar except two servings of fruit and a sweet potato once in a while, I listened. I understood. Then I asked myself, “Do I want to cooperate with Jesus?”

The first time it was hard. This second time around it’s been challenging too, but a bit easier than the first time I did it. Yet, I still needed to decide if I was willing. I knew I had the ability to go twenty-one days without sugar, grains, alcohol, etc. I’d done it before, I knew I could do it again. But was I willing to cooperate with Jesus?

Two Are Better Than One

During this 21-Day Sugar Fast, I’ve needed to cooperate with Jesus every day. There’s no way I could succeed without Him. Temptation is real. Hunger is real. Cravings are real. But so are willingness and ability real.

Do you cooperate with Jesus with what He’s telling you? Do you hear Him? Do you understand Him? Once you do, are you able and willing to cooperate?

I’ve had to concede some things in my life in order to cooperate with Jesus during this 21-Day Sugar Fast. But I will happily admit, it’s been worth it all. Because when we walk in obedience to all the Lord commands us, He blesses us. Many times, He double blesses us.

As my sugar fast is coming closer to the end, I’m grateful I listened to, understood, and cooperated with Jesus. When I think of all the prayers of healing I’ve prayed in the last seventeen days alone, Wow! Jesus is alive and active. You see, when we obey Jesus, others are blessed too.

I think it’s safe to say, Jesus has been blessing many people during my 21-Day Sugar Fast. I may never know how, when, where, why, or what He did to whom because of my cooperation to fast and pray for healing for others, but I know He’s listening and acting.

If there is something Jesus is asking you to cooperate with Him on, will you? Will you be brave and say yes?

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV)

Cooperate with Jesus. You won’t be disappointed. And God’s Word is true. When we work with Jesus, we will have a good return for our labor.