Working on my new series — can’t wait for it all to unfold!
Tag: christian men
Rescue Me!
Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.
Psalm 44:26
I’ll admit I’ve had a bit of a rough relationship with God the last few weeks. I have an on-going health issue related to my sinuses. For years I’ve suffered through swollen sinuses, infections, allergies, clogged ears, excruciating headaches and more. I’m in my third year of allergy shots and recently had a second sinus surgery. And I feel worse.
A few weekends ago I spent most of the time feeling like my head was either in a tight vise or underwater. Conversations were muffled and my eustachian tubes felt as though a needle was being jammed in them. I got on my knees and started praying desperately for God to heal me. While at church I prayed continuously for healing. And the pain continued.
Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
Psalm 44:23
Have you ever felt the way the psalmist did when he wrote that verse? Like God just isn’t listening? That Sunday evening, I sure did. I was in tears. And so, I cried out to God even louder to please heal me. For a brief moment I even felt myself being pulled back into my old way of thinking that God didn’t care about me or worse, maybe didn’t even exist. But my faith journey has brought me too far to let me slide backwards.
There is no relapse where Christ heals; no fear that His patients should be merely patched up for a season. He makes new men of them; He give them a new heart and He puts within them a right spirit.
Charles Spurgeon
My knowledge of God has led me to a place of greater wisdom. Instead of asking God to “wake up” I started asking Him if this was to be my thorn, my constant affliction to cause me to rely more and more on Him.
It also led me to put my pain and suffering in perspective. While my issues are painful and irritating, I am not debilitated. I can still rise every morning and serve Him and the people around me. And through a pounding headache I can still go out for a walk and experience a beautiful day. I put my troubles up against my mother-in-law’s, who through a year battling cancer and diverticulitis has managed a smile each time I talk to her. Yes, at her lowest she has cried. But I’ve watched her turn back to God in faith, searching for His hand in all things.
I want God to take away my pain. I know He can. He can heal me as I write this. And it is not for me to know why He doesn’t.
I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
I would prefer not to be held to the same spiritual standards set by the Apostle Paul. To seek God’s goodness when I feel my worst. To feel His presence when my head is pounding. To do the work required of me when the pain is almost overwhelming. At times I just can’t. That’s when I beg God to help me, to rescue me.
I’m not going to stop asking for healing. But I’ve decided that I trust God that there is a reason He hasn’t. And I know for certain, that in trusting Him, one day we will all be free from affliction and experience His amazing glory.
Fan The Flame
For this reason I remind you to
fan into flame the gift of God,
which is in you through the laying
on of my hands.
2 Timothy 1:6
I remember the day I got baptized. I was 34 years old and at the same time my one year old and 5 year old received the Holy water. I remember standing on that stage full of the spirit of God. My heart was full. I was ready to jump in with both feet.
As a person trained in marketing and public relations, I decided a good place for me to volunteer at my new church was on the growth committee. The church membership had shrunk over the years and they were looking to reach out into the community. After four months of detailed work, we finally had the plan. And by “plan” I mean the plan and bylaws of how the committee would work. I was so dispirited.
My friend invited our family to come worship at her church which was the same denomination but was very large and vibrant. We loved it! My spirits soared again as I watched my kids get involved in various church groups and my husband volunteered as an usher. And then I flatlined. Attending church became something we tried to fit into our schedule. My faith life outside church was non-existent.
We gotta get our faith stirred up again! If I was just running on excitement, I would’ve run out of gas a long time ago. Once the excitement of God is over, real men and women of God kick into faithfulness.
Joyce Meyer
We get tired of the “doing” in our everyday lives – making the bed, doing the dishes, going to work, brushing our teeth. But we still do it or else we become destitute. Some of us have become destitute in our faith because the excitement is gone. We all probably remember when we accepted Jesus as our savior or were baptized. It was exciting! And now, the day-to-day life has settled in. We need to keep “doing” our faith because we are assigned the work of God.
When I was thinking of this concept, I thought of my favorite college basketball team (Go Aztecs!). In March 2020 they were a powerhouse team, set to go to the NCAA tournament. My husband and I had gone to a lot of the home games. The SDSU Aztec games are well known for the influence of their fans. We can really rock the Mesa and spur our boys on! And in March 2021 we couldn’t go to any games. It felt weird watching on tv without the excitement of being able to high five strangers when one of the players hit an amazing three-pointer. It just wasn’t the same. So, our faithfulness of watching games waned. I’m sorry to say we didn’t even watch their NCAA tournament game. We had better things to do.
But the difference between being a fan of a team and follower of Jesus is the Aztecs, once a game was over and we all went home, didn’t know my name. They didn’t care to know me at all. Sure, they appreciated the support but they didn’t ride home with me. Except for the mailing list our name is on to ask us for money, our favorite team, that brings us so much fun and excitement, goes about their own lives not thinking of me once.
But after we commit ourselves to the Lord and experience that wave of excitement, He stays with us. He is with us when we don’t think about Him during our busy day. He is with us when we forget about Him completely. He is waiting for us to go to work for Him. He is waiting for us to turn to Him.
Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you—guard it with
the help of the Holy Spirit who
lives in us.
2 Timothy 1:14
Last year I found myself a Christian without a church. And at first, I thought that meant my faith would become destitute again. I turned to God and said, “What now?” And He answered, “It’s time to truly grow.”
I had been relying on outside entities to stir up my excitement for God. To fan my flames for Jesus. When all along He was sitting there next to me waiting to build a bonfire together.
A few studies ago my BSGs were tasked to draw their faith journey as a graph. I’m happy to report we have all had steady growth. It was amazing to see how, in the time where we were all without “church,” our charts showed an upward movement. When we were stripped down to our lives being so simple because of the Covid pandemic God invited us to His campfire. And we all accepted the invitation.
For many of us our churches have re-opened. And the celebration of the beauty of the resurrection is in our rearview mirror. We need to ask ourselves are we expecting an outside source to fan our flames for God or will we turn and join Him at the campfire?
Our New Identity
Do your best to present yourself to
God as one approved, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
When I quit working full time about 25 years ago, it was hard for me to accept that I no longer contributed financially to our little family. My identity was wrapped up in working. I had earned money since I was a kid collecting cans and newspapers and turning them into the recycler. In college at one point, I had a job, a paid internship, a full load of classes, and was the president of a professional-based club. Work was what I knew and work was what defined me.
Not long after I decided to stay home with our 2-year old daughter I found myself face-to-face with my identity problem. My daughter and I were walking home from a neighborhood park. We had to cross a very busy street. When we got the “walk” sign we made our way across in the crosswalk. In one of the cars waiting for the light to change was an obviously very angry and impatient man. He yelled out the window to me, “Hey loser, why don’t you get a job?”
Instead of being angry I was mortified. You see, I agreed with him. I wasn’t seeing myself as first a mother and wife then someone who could, if I wanted to, get a job. I saw myself first as a jobless loser.
What do you see yourself as first these days?
As my faith journey has progressed my answer to that question has evolved. Once my second daughter came along, I threw myself into motherhood. I even placed being a wife much farther down the list for a bit. Being a Christian was way down on the list. In between I was a “coach,” a “PTA president,” a “school volunteer,” a “Girl Scout leader.” And now, looking back, had I placed “Christian” as my primary identity I would’ve made a number of different choices along the way.
Just because you go to church doesn’t mean you’re a Christian. I can go sit in the garage all day and it doesn’t make me a car.
Joyce Meyer
I love this quote by Joyce Meyer because it speaks to the heart of this issue of identity. We may say what our identity is but how do we act? What do we base our decisions on day in and day out? Do we decide what’s best for our kids based on their happiness or based on God’s direction? Do we treat our spouses based on where we place our marriage on our identity list or on God’s expectation of us? Do we hold dear the income from that job more than we do our relationship with our Lord?
It’s taken me awhile to truly accept the identity hierarchy God wants for me – 1) Jesus Follower 2) Wife 3) Mother 4) Whatever else He directs me to. And in our verse today the priority for us is to be a “God Approved Worker for Him.” Not ashamed of following His Word as best we can in every decision we make.
I used to listen to the famed Dr. Laura quite a lot. One day she was talking about divorce. She said that if you go into a marriage with the option of getting divorced you will always find reasons to not work on your marriage. But if you go into it (having made a healthy choice of spouse) with the priority of staying together no matter what, you will always find new and creative ways to work out problems. Our faith is a lot like that.
When we place our faith as our primary identity it changes who we marry, who we spend time with, what type of job we want, how we use our money, how we treat our families and friends, and more. We are God’s co-workers. And we are tasked with being proud of that identity.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,
stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always
give yourselves fully to the work of the
Lord, because you know that your labor in
the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
So again, I ask, what identity have you placed at the top of your list?
If it’s not “Christian” why not? What’s holding you back? God is waiting for you to put Him first. Because when you do then, I believe, He claps His hands and says, “Great, now let’s get down to business!”
This is a great except from C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity that might help spur you on to your new identity.
“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”
Battle Strategy
Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who
trains my hands for war, my fingers
for battle.
Psalm 144:1
I have a very strong personality. I’m a fixer and a doer. I’m a creative problem solver. So, for me to sit back and let God take control or direct me has been one of my greatest challenges. A few years ago, I was working in a school counseling office. There were two of us with essentially the same job. When my co-worker left for greener pastures, we hired a new, young woman as her replacement. She was fun and interesting. And then she stopped showing up on time for work. And at times not at all. Then she started spending what time she was in the office on personal phone calls or social media. The bulk of the work fell on me to accomplish.
I jumped into fix it mode. Trying to help her figure out a better work style. Talking with our supervisor about how to discipline her. Each morning as I headed into work, I created all the conversations I wish I could actually have with her. I became angry and bitter. I might or might not even jokingly asked God to take her out with a bus.
Fortunately, my faith was maturing. One morning during my commute, the Holy Spirit whispered to me: “This battle needs a different approach. Try praying FOR her.” And so, I did. For one week, every morning I prayed that God would intervene in her life to help her be more successful at work. And that whatever was happening in her home life would not deter her from doing a good job.
And after one week she stopped showing up completely. Two weeks later it was determined she had “abandoned” her job. Essentially, she had fired herself. And in the next hiring process I was able to recommend someone else who was amazing!
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield,
in whom I take refuge, who subdues
people under me.
Psalm 144:2
You see, I was fighting the battle all wrong. I focused on myself rather than God. It was an in-your-face lesson delivered by the Holy Spirit.
Since then, I have faced other battles. I’m remembering to pray before I enter the battlefield for God to direct me and protect me. Because I recognize that I can be a bull in a china shop with my “Miz Fixit” personality.
“When I release my weaknesses and blind spots to God, He uses them to help me grow up spiritually.”
Crystal McDowell
I love the visual from 1 Peter 1:13 to “gird your loins.” The saying comes from the concept of tucking your tunic up into your belt so that it doesn’t get in the way while running.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the
grace that is to be brought to you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Peter 1:13
And in this verse, it specifically reminds us to pull our thoughts together and have a disciplined mind so we can rest our thoughts on the grace of the returning Christ. We escape from the perils of the worldly mind – trying to fix everything ourselves — with the teaching and guiding hand of God.
Before we make that difficult phone call, head into that important meeting, sit down with the wayward family member we need to “gird our loins” and seek God’s battle plan. Stand confident in prayer and listen to what He really wants you to say or do. For me, He reminds me I need to be silent at times and let Him do His good work.
Most of us are “can do” people. And when it comes to conflict or issues in our lives we so often want to take back command of the battle. But like Joshua before us we need to be fired up and bold in our faith that He will be our deliverer.
The Blessing of Hope
And hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured
out into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5
In February of 2020, my beloved mother in law got some disturbing news. She possibly had uterine cancer. We all started praying and hoping for negative tests. But with each test, each imaging, we were disappointed. Our hopes for it being “just a thing” were dashed.
In my prayers I lifted her up to God as one of His very faithful daughters. And when the bad news came, I cried out to Him. It wasn’t fair. I couldn’t see why He would allow this to happen.
And as quickly as I cried out, He answered me. “I have a plan. You need to trust in me.” So, I rested my hope in patience and faith and the knowledge that God has been there for her in the past.
Such hope as is the fruit of faith, patience, and experience, namely, the full assurance of hope;
Benson Commentary on Romans 5:5
When I read the verse from today, I wondered about the word, “shame.” The clarification I found was that Christian hope will not disappoint or be deceptive. God has proven Himself over and over of His faithfulness. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Jews and Christians in Rome, reminds us that even before we were willing to worship God fully He sent His son to die for us. Think about that. We didn’t have to prove ourselves to Him first.
You see, at just the right time, when
we were still powerless, Christ died
for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone
die for a righteous person, though for a
good person someone might possibly dare
to die. But God demonstrates his own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8
He goes on to say if God would do this for us, how much more can we expect? How much more hope can we put in the fact that God will take care of us?
As a maturing Christian this idea of “hope” has gone through a transition in my thinking. And where I started mirrors what so many non-believers struggle with when looking at Jesus followers. “If I pray and hope that someone is cured and they aren’t, doesn’t that mean God’s not listening (or doesn’t care or maybe the person doesn’t deserve it?).” But friends, God’s plans are so beyond our own!
I truly believe that God allows us to experience trials so that we can change our perspective of what living a “good life” in the world means. We, through our experiences, can offer hope to others that they can come out the other side with renewed faith. And He uses people around us to show His love during difficult times.
Every single apostle, every single lover of God in the Old Testament went through extremely difficult times. It was their hope they placed in Him that sustained them. And it was their experiences that help us to remember He loves us.
As for my mother in law? Praise God that through surgery and chemotherapy her cancer was eradicated. But the message I got from God was that even if she succumbed to cancer, He still had her safely in His arms. Because that is the greatest message of hope that Jesus gave us. We are saved from wrath. We are saved from the sins of this world. And we will find a loving home for us waiting at the end.
Hemmed In
You hem me in behind and before, and
you lay your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5
My BSGs were talking the other day about sensing God’s presence. More specifically about the times we felt God was far away from us. So often when we are experiencing difficult trials we think “where is God?” But I’ve come to realize in my faith journey that the real question is the one God asks, “Will you come back to me and rest in my love?”
God surrounds us each and every day. In our verse today it’s expressed as “hemming us in.” For some that might seem restricting. But to me it evokes the concept of wrapping a baby tightly in a swaddling cloth. We do it so the baby feels the warmth and safety once felt while inside the womb. And that’s what God wants for us.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will
come to you.
John 14:18
Those are Jesus’ words. He sent us the Holy Spirit to always be in us. We don’t need to go looking for it. We don’t need to beg for it to descend upon us. God indwells. So, what is truly required of us when we experience difficult times is to rest in what is already available to us.
“It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by you!”
Upper Room, Surrounded (Fight My Battles)
When I think about the times I felt distanced from God I also think back to when the Israelites were out in the desert. They could actually see God’s spirit hovering over their camp day and night. And yet, they asked, “Where is God?” I don’t have the benefit of seeing a cloud follow me around day and night. And, I don’t have the physical Jesus to sit down with at dinner to share my problems. So, I give myself a bit of grace when I forget He is always with me.
When I rest and tap into the strength and love and goodness of the Holy Spirit I find that promised peace. It most likely won’t change the circumstances of the trial I’m experiencing. But knowing He is with me, with His hand laid upon me, gives me the strength to continue.
My friend Betsy is an avid, extreme hiker. Last year, at 70 years old, she set off to tackle the John Muir Trail solo. She came to a particularly difficult portion and her body starting giving her troubles. She has dreamed of this trip for years – and attempted it a few times. She became distraught that she couldn’t go on. With her, in case of emergency, was her Iphone. She made the decision to use it to listen to some Christian music in the midst of this struggle. As she reached the crest of the difficult portion, filled with the music of the Holy Spirit, her mind was transformed. She had plugged back in to her closeness with God.
Betsy wasn’t able to complete her goal. But she gained so much more. A confirmation that God never leaves us. We just need to rest in that “hemmed in” space He provides.
Here’s a prayer from Sparkling Gems from the Greek to pray when we feel separated from God:
Lord, I thank you that I am not a spiritual orphan in this world. You did not abandon me or leave me to figure out everything on my own. You sent the Holy Spirit to me to be my Teacher and Guide. So right now, I open my heart wide to the Holy Spirit, so He can be the Helper You sent Him to be in my life. I give You thanks for sending this divine Helper and I ask You to teach me how to lean upon Him more and more in the course of my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name!
Fresh Fire
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:12
I don’t typically pull Bible verses from the King James version. But in one of my devotionals this version of Hebrews 6:12 was the focus of that day’s study. It got me thinking about my own faith and where I stand with “slothfulness.”
When you hear that word “sloth” you probably think of the lazy animal, hanging out in a tree accomplishing next to nothing all day. Yet slothfulness is not the same as being lazy – which is how the word is translated in the New International Version. In fact, the word “slothful” in Greek is quite different. And in the context of the verse in Hebrews it means to not allow our faith to become monotonous or without a blazing flame.
Slothful: nōthrós – slow, sluggish; monotonous
Strong’s Greek
For many Christians we say we are religious because we attend church regularly. We get up Sunday morning, find our usual spot to park at church, listen to a sermon, sing a few familiar songs, and look forward to the donut or muffin on the way out. We might chat with a few friends then head to whatever else we have on our plate for the day. We can check off our “faith” for that week. We might even go to a Bible study during the week to put another tick mark on our “faithful” list.
And for you overachieving, super involved Christians, it’s interesting to note that the author of my devotional is an accomplished author, missionary and evangelist. He realized he was a good “worker” for God. But somewhere along the line it became just that – work.
But what God wants of us is deep, passionate faith. And if you already have that – awesome! I hope you will still enjoy what is to come in my Fresh Fire posts!
He wants us to be in love with Him. He wants us to be eager to speak with Him and to be sad if we don’t feel His presence. He wants us to stand for Him in the face of those who would speak against Him. He wants us to seek the opportunities to speak about His glorious promises. He wants us to remove all spiritual neutrality and instead burn red-hot for His message of love, forgiveness, redemption and salvation!
My son-in-law once shared with me Charles Spurgeon’s compilation of prayers called, “Spurgeon on Prayer and Spiritual Warfare.” I soon got my own copy and was amazed with the fervor level of his sermons. There’s nothing slothful about Mr. Spurgeon! I wanted to share this excerpt about praying with a blazing heart:
“I would that some of you prayed more vehemently! “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matt 11:12) An old Puritan said, “Prayer is a cannon set at the gate of heaven to burst open its gates.” You must take the city by storm if you would have it. You will not ride to heaven on a feather-bed, you must go on pilgrimage; there is no going to the land of glory while you are sound asleep, dreamy sluggards will have to wake up in hell. If God has made you to feel in your soul the need of salvation, cry like one who is awake and alive; be in earnest; cry aloud; spare not.
Charles Spurgeon, The Raven’s Cry
Whew! I get exhausted each time I read that! And yet, during the “Great Covid Pandemic” I watched friends’ faith fall by the wayside. They were comfortable with sitting in their PJs watching a church video and nothing more. I also watched others be lifted to higher heights. Their Bible study life became daily and hour-long. Their prayers became constant and vibrant! Their work of sanctification grew by leaps and bounds! I have written before that I believe a great sifting has occurred. Those who choose to be “slothful” in their faith will continue to slide out of a relationship with Jesus. But we don’t want to be lost into the world.
For five weeks, I’ll share 25 verses about strong, energetic, and passionate faith. A few may feel familiar but my hope is that most will be something new. Because that’s what this series is about – stripping away the “usual” and monotonous and injecting a bit of new fire.
God’s promises are so much more beautiful and glorious than anything the world can ever offer. It’s up to us to grab hold of our faith with renewed vigor and fire. It’s up to us to burn in passion for our Lord.
Here’s the prayer from that day’s devotional about slothfulness. I hope you pray it as a stepping off point for the study!
“Lord, help me understand how totally unacceptable it is for me to lose my passion, momentum and desire. I ask you to forgive me for allowing any hint of slothfulness to operate in my life. Today I repent and deliberately turn from slothfulness. Holy Spirit, I turn to you now and ask you to stir and reignite the fire in my heart. Please help me regain the zeal, the thrust and the fire I once possessed. Help me to keep that fire burning this time, never to lose it again. I pray this is Jesus’ name!”
Coming Soon!
March 29 through April 30
Be A Heart Changer & Soul Saver
Life Lesson #9: Christians are in the job of changing hearts and saving souls.
Perhaps this is the reason he was
separated from you for a while,
so that you might have him back
forever, no longer as a slave but
more than a slave, a beloved
brother—especially to me but how
much more to you, both in the
flesh and in the Lord.
Philemon 1:15-16
When I was in college, I was approached by two missionaries on campus. I believed in God, to an extent, but didn’t know anything about Him or Jesus. I asked the typical questions – “Why does God allow bad things to happen to people” and “Why did He give us free will instead of just making us all good people?” I’m sorry to say they couldn’t give me even a best guess. I wonder if you were tasked with talking to a friend about Jesus would you be ready with passable answers to these questions?
I heard a talk by Joyce Meyer the other day where she took up the question of why evil things continuously happen in the world. She’s seen some pretty bad situations in all of her world-wide missionary work. She prayed this question one day. The answer she got back was, “I’m waiting on my people to obey me and take care of each other.”
The righteous know the rights of
the poor; the wicked have no such
understanding.
Proverb 29:7
I’m currently doing a study that takes me through the entire Bible. It’s fascinating to see in Leviticus how sin offerings are adjusted for the poor. Even thousands of years ago God was making sure the downtrodden were taken care of. But notice you won’t find in the Bible that the Israelites or Christians are told to take up arms to eliminate poverty. Verse after verse we are tasked to do one thing with the poor – to help them.
In Joppa there was a disciple named
Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas);
she was always doing good and
helping the poor.
Acts 9:36
As social justice issues go, the poor are always on the lips of “social justice warriors.” Their desire appears to be to eliminate poverty and all social injustice via legislation, protests or even through violence. But as Christians we are shown a different approach. Take the issue of slavery, as discussed in the letter from Paul to Philemon. The subject is the slave Onesimus. Notice in the introductory verse that Paul does not chastise or demand of Philemon the release of his slave. Paul, instead, appeals to faith principles. He reminds Philemon that as a faithful follower of Jesus our hearts and therefore, our minds are changed.
“To me, a follower of Jesus means a friend of man. A Christian is a philanthropist by profession, and generous by force of grace; wide as the reign of sorrow is the stretch of his love, and where he cannot help he pities still.”
Charles Spurgeon
By teaching slave owners about the power and love and salvation found in following Jesus, the disciples were slowly changing the hearts and then minds of people who, not only owned slaves, but behaved in any number of sinful ways. The new Christian is tasked with living in a new loving and giving nature.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come: The old
has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Had the disciples come into new cities preaching about abolishing slavery (let’s remember too that slavery in that time was mostly more like indentured servitude) they certainly would’ve been met with resistance. Slaves were costly commodities – just as they were in the early years of the United States. To preach that people had to give up much of their wealth in order to follow Jesus would not have been as successful as first telling of the Good News.
Last year, I watched as protests and violence broke out in cities across the United States by self-professed social justice warriors. To be honest, at times I wasn’t even sure what some of it was about. In Portland, Oregon, the young people rioting just seemed to hate everyone. It was a perfect time for the church to rise up and do what we should do best – show love and help change hearts. I hoped and prayed that in communities hit by violence that God’s people would come together and form prayer chains around the cities – enveloping it in God’s love. Instead, I watched as pastors led more protests and took to microphones and megaphones yelling about injustice, pointing fingers at different races.
“It is easier to make laws than to make Christians, but the business of the church is to produce Christians and everything else is a by-product of that new creation.”
Vance Havner
The people of Jesus’ time expected a Messiah to come and bring justice. They wanted punishment of those who had wronged them. They wanted to see governments and whole groups of people destroyed. But Jesus was not that kind of social justice warrior. From town-to-town He cared about one thing – changing people’s hearts. He did out-of-the-box things like sit with sinners, touch the leper, heal on the Sabbath, talk with the outcasts. He brought the bread of life and the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks
this water will be thirsty again, but
whoever drinks the water I give them
will never thirst. Indeed, the water
I give them will become in them a
spring of water welling up to eternal
life.”
John 4:13-14
How amazing would it have been if, when our churches closed down in March 2020, they instead remained open. Not just open but open 24 hours a day with a sign out on the street that said, “Need someone to talk to? We’re always open and ready to listen.” I know this idea is radical. And you’re probably thinking of all the reasons why your church can’t do this. But the work of Jesus and His apostles was radical. So is the work of every Christian you probably admire.
“Behave at them.”
Ken Blanchard
As Christians we are not tasked to be worldly “social justice warriors.” We are commissioned to be God’s soldiers. When we are tempted to join a protest march and carry a sign we should first think how we can directly help those for whom we are marching. God’s plan for the world will only be accomplished through our active showing of love, grace, charity, and forgiveness of others — while espousing His truth. The spreading of the message of Jesus brings the changes we so long for – maybe just not as fast as we like. He designed us this way.
I do get outraged by many things going on in the world. And then I remember to pray to God for peace in my heart so that I can listen for my marching orders. When I feel overwhelmed by the problems we face, I remember that God works out-of-the-box in radical ways. It’s up to me and it’s up to you to be in the heart changing business when God puts opportunities right in front of us. We will always find ourselves on the right side of “He who is most important” when we obey God.
The Apostle Paul worked on one rich, slave owner at a time. And over time, our Christian faith has led to a world-wide abolishment of sanctioned slavery. What small step can you do today to help change one heart?
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