As I sit here this morning, my heart is saddened by the awful things that are taking place in our world. We cry out for peace, but there seems to be none. Men, women and children are being murdered and slaughtered, depending on which part of the world you look at. Down the street and over there, Evil has found a way to disrupt lives and continue to cause chaos. A different kind of faith claims to have the answers and then shows it by killing all who are opposed to or make a stand against it. While others of this same faith do not believe in what these “radicals” are doing. The slaughter of the innocents sickens the more peaceful followers of this faith and they are beginning to speak out. Here in America, we are not much better. We have our own extremists, be they political, religious or just evil drug pushers. We sit back and think, “What is wrong with those people (or groups)?” But in many ways we do not make a stand to speak out or to call them out and identify their weak arguments for what they do or say or how they choose to treat others. In some cases, all we do is shake our heads and ask “How Long” as if waiting for the One who will one day make all things right is our best response. As we remain tight-lipped and sit on our hands, the world continues to turn, igniting itself by it's own hatred of individuals who are different. What can we do? Who will save us? When can we leave all of this behind?
And maybe that is the point. That we have not been removed or called “Home” yet. That as we remain here, maybe we are the ones to cultivate change. To begin a dialogue with those who are opposed to us and what we stand for. To offer Hope to a world that desperately needs it. To show Love to a people who have forgotten it and what it actually looks like. We have an opportunity each day to have an impact. To collide into others with a force of Love that is Greater than anyone could imagine. What will we do with that opportunity? Will we take the time to invest it or squander it. Or have we yet to Believe in it? It is hard to change our world or form relationships with those who we do not have a love for and cannot find it in our hearts to do so. If we have forgotten all about the Mercy and Grace that has brought us into a right relationship with our Creator God, then we will not show it. God, please help us to remember how you loved us enough to wipe the dirt and tears away from us and cleaned us up by your own blood. And that you did this not so we would have reserved seating around Your throne, but that we might take others by the hand to bring them to you also.
We look at those around us who are not like us. Maybe they have no place to call home. Maybe they have an addiction that we don't have. Maybe the tone of their skin is different than ours. Or maybe they worship with a different denomination than us. Maybe they cannot speak English or have brought the faith that they grew up in with them to this country. Can we not find a way to begin a relationship with them? It's easier to stay divided in the safety of “our group”. We've been splitting and dividing into groups since the Tower of Babel, only looking for the things that are similar and the things we have in common. But Jesus wanted us to go into all of the world, not stay where we were with similar people. Do we want people to be just like us, or do we want to meet them where they are? With their questions that need answering and their hurts and deep disappointments, can we love them as they are, and not as they should be? This is how Christ loved us, before we got clipped and trimmed into the cookie cutter pattern that we are now! We say come as you are, but then we don't want to get filthy and do the messy work of reclamation and discipleship that those who are not just like us need for us to do. We forget all about the Grace that it took to Lead us Home, as we look at these newbies, who probably sin, a lot! God help us to be Your Church, and not just a place for those who are already cleaned up!
It is easy to give up, to throw our hands up and say “God, you do it”, when He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit to help us to do the work, to make the change in our world. Or to say “This world stinks, get me out of here!” How sad He must feel that we could be so uncaring and unloving to a world full of people that He died for and yet we have no regard for. While it is true that this world is not our Home and that we are citizens of the world to come, we are without excuse when it comes to showing Love, Mercy and Grace to the very ones that we don't feel like showing it to.
[The Great Commission will be completed only by intentional action and resoluteness. Jesus commands us today to set our eyes on the goal of disciple making and pursue that goal with stubborn focus. This means that unless you pray and plan to make disciples, you won’t do it! (courtesy of the Verge Network)]
As the angel Clarence told George Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, “Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?” Unfortunately, we as Christians tend to have this mentality, that we would rather check out, to sit on the sidelines and throw away the opportunities set before us each day. We easily slip into the safety and comfort of the Uninvolved, watching the world burn and tear itself apart. Oh, we might think to pray about whatever is going on, but to actually step in and get involved and try to be a part of the change, “no, that's not for me.” We live with no sense of urgency and in such a way that we give off the stench of an attitude that shouts to the world that Christ saved us so that we could live safe, happy and comfortable lives, and to not be bothered with all of that other stuff. Can't we see how wonderful life could be if we truly lived it for Him, to make the difference that He would have us to make? That to not play an active role in the lives of others means that we are missing out on making a difference here and in eternity? Can we not see how many others lives would be changed for the better if we just took part?
Lord, help us to speak up for those who cannot, to make a stand against evil in all of its forms. To play an active role in the work of Your Redemption by reaching out to all those to whom we would rather not. You have not rescued us so that we can decide who gets to become Yours, or to write off people that we think never will. Help us to remember that Your Grace, when shown to many others will lead us all home to you! We must remember that every day, every moment is an opportunity to Trust our Heavenly Father more deeply. As we do this, we will grow deeper in our Faith, fall more deeply and madly in Love with our Savior and project onto the world a Light that will not be hidden! By this, they will know that we belong to Him and they will not be able to deny that there is something different about us!! Go Light Your World!!
And maybe that is the point. That we have not been removed or called “Home” yet. That as we remain here, maybe we are the ones to cultivate change. To begin a dialogue with those who are opposed to us and what we stand for. To offer Hope to a world that desperately needs it. To show Love to a people who have forgotten it and what it actually looks like. We have an opportunity each day to have an impact. To collide into others with a force of Love that is Greater than anyone could imagine. What will we do with that opportunity? Will we take the time to invest it or squander it. Or have we yet to Believe in it? It is hard to change our world or form relationships with those who we do not have a love for and cannot find it in our hearts to do so. If we have forgotten all about the Mercy and Grace that has brought us into a right relationship with our Creator God, then we will not show it. God, please help us to remember how you loved us enough to wipe the dirt and tears away from us and cleaned us up by your own blood. And that you did this not so we would have reserved seating around Your throne, but that we might take others by the hand to bring them to you also.
We look at those around us who are not like us. Maybe they have no place to call home. Maybe they have an addiction that we don't have. Maybe the tone of their skin is different than ours. Or maybe they worship with a different denomination than us. Maybe they cannot speak English or have brought the faith that they grew up in with them to this country. Can we not find a way to begin a relationship with them? It's easier to stay divided in the safety of “our group”. We've been splitting and dividing into groups since the Tower of Babel, only looking for the things that are similar and the things we have in common. But Jesus wanted us to go into all of the world, not stay where we were with similar people. Do we want people to be just like us, or do we want to meet them where they are? With their questions that need answering and their hurts and deep disappointments, can we love them as they are, and not as they should be? This is how Christ loved us, before we got clipped and trimmed into the cookie cutter pattern that we are now! We say come as you are, but then we don't want to get filthy and do the messy work of reclamation and discipleship that those who are not just like us need for us to do. We forget all about the Grace that it took to Lead us Home, as we look at these newbies, who probably sin, a lot! God help us to be Your Church, and not just a place for those who are already cleaned up!
It is easy to give up, to throw our hands up and say “God, you do it”, when He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit to help us to do the work, to make the change in our world. Or to say “This world stinks, get me out of here!” How sad He must feel that we could be so uncaring and unloving to a world full of people that He died for and yet we have no regard for. While it is true that this world is not our Home and that we are citizens of the world to come, we are without excuse when it comes to showing Love, Mercy and Grace to the very ones that we don't feel like showing it to.
[The Great Commission will be completed only by intentional action and resoluteness. Jesus commands us today to set our eyes on the goal of disciple making and pursue that goal with stubborn focus. This means that unless you pray and plan to make disciples, you won’t do it! (courtesy of the Verge Network)]
As the angel Clarence told George Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, “Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?” Unfortunately, we as Christians tend to have this mentality, that we would rather check out, to sit on the sidelines and throw away the opportunities set before us each day. We easily slip into the safety and comfort of the Uninvolved, watching the world burn and tear itself apart. Oh, we might think to pray about whatever is going on, but to actually step in and get involved and try to be a part of the change, “no, that's not for me.” We live with no sense of urgency and in such a way that we give off the stench of an attitude that shouts to the world that Christ saved us so that we could live safe, happy and comfortable lives, and to not be bothered with all of that other stuff. Can't we see how wonderful life could be if we truly lived it for Him, to make the difference that He would have us to make? That to not play an active role in the lives of others means that we are missing out on making a difference here and in eternity? Can we not see how many others lives would be changed for the better if we just took part?
Lord, help us to speak up for those who cannot, to make a stand against evil in all of its forms. To play an active role in the work of Your Redemption by reaching out to all those to whom we would rather not. You have not rescued us so that we can decide who gets to become Yours, or to write off people that we think never will. Help us to remember that Your Grace, when shown to many others will lead us all home to you! We must remember that every day, every moment is an opportunity to Trust our Heavenly Father more deeply. As we do this, we will grow deeper in our Faith, fall more deeply and madly in Love with our Savior and project onto the world a Light that will not be hidden! By this, they will know that we belong to Him and they will not be able to deny that there is something different about us!! Go Light Your World!!
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