Wysiwyg

WYSIWYG is a term used in the software and computer world that stands for “what you see is what you get.” If you should see something in the development stage of a program you would get exactly that when the program is running.

Two computer programmers, Ronnie and Linda, were sitting on the beach admiring the scene. The waves came running in towards the beach at regular intervals. Some were big and noisy and some were just rolling quietly along to dissolve into the sand on the beach.

Every now and then one unusually sized wave would gather more momentum and leave the people on the beach scrambling for safety with their possessions bundled together. After the wave, a wet print is left on the sand with the remains of sandals or towels partly buried in the sand.

In his mind Ronnie was comparing the waves with people. Every person has his own chance to make a wave, to roll or thunder and crash or quietly dissolve and disappear.

Deep inside he felt his own life was merely a ripple nobody noticed and when it was over, nobody would ever know he existed.

Ronnie was a Christian and he knew many prominent Christians whom he would refer to as great men of God. In his heart he desired to be like those people. To be able to preach, and touch the hearts of many, to make a wave and leave demons scrambling when he prayed, to make a miracle happen by simply touching a sick person, that was his desire.

“Ronnie, what are you thinking about?” Ronnie looked at Linda sitting next to him. “I am thinking about all the successful preachers and evangelists and wished that I could be like one of them. They are like big waves and must have a great time to be blessed by the Holy Spirit this way.”

Linda answered, “Ron, when a person is born, he is unique. No other person in the world is exactly like him. And every person is more or less WYSIWYG, but only until that person is born again and he receives the Holy Spirit. At that moment the WYSIWYG is completely replaced by the character and power of the Holy Spirit. Then he might still be looking like Ron, but in essence he would be a giant of a man with power and ability that abound.”

“Wow,” Ron said. “I disagree, Linda. Look at all the great preachers. They definitely must have received a lot more of the Holy Spirit than we have received.

“Ron, when you read your Bible you would find great leaders like Moses, Elijah, and many more, people whom God had chosen and equipped with special gifts and power. After Jesus ascended into heaven, God sent us the Holy Spirit and since that day all Christians are like those great people. In fact we have more than what they had.

It is a very important fact that not one single individual Christian has more of the Spirit than his neighbour has, because God does not give the Spirit by measure. (John 3:34)

If you feel like a ripple, it is your fault. You are part of the sea; you have the same measure of Spirit than those great evangelists have.

It is wrong however, to sit on the beach and enjoy and watch those waves come in. You are not a Christian to be entertained. You have to make your own wave.

WYSIWYG does not apply to you anymore. You look like Ron on the outside but inside you have the Power and miracles of God waiting to be splashed onto the people who need it most. All you have to do, is askJesus to train you to use that Power and then do it!

And then, when you know how, teach others what you have learnt. When a great preacher fails to teach what he has learnt, he might be making a big noise entertaining people, but in the end he would achieve less than a ripple.”