There’s something wonderful about waking up each morning with the possibility of a world that will be fresh and clear. As Christians, we know that the reverse is true, that the world is headed on a destruction course which was set in motion by the original sin of man.
Still, after a rain overnight, the air feel fresh and the sky looks clean. While any rainbow is long since gone, I look out my window and wish to be able to take a nice long walk outside.
Unfortunately for me, that isn’t possible. While the air may look and smell clean, there are dangers lurking there for me. There is pollen and there is ozone and there is something insidious called PM2.5. This is particulate matter so small, it ends up in the lungs and can cause damage or even, at high concentrations, death to those who have compromised lung capacity.
So, I look from the inside out, enjoy the view, but stay here inside the filtered confines of my house. And I am content. I’ve learned to be thankful in all circumstances, including the one that I am living in at this time. I’m thankful to be alive. I’m thankful that God is setting my path. I’m thankful that, by means of this blog and other methods, I can reach out to the world to tell the good news of Jesus Christ.
As Christians, Jesus commissioned us to spread this news. It was his last command before he left us to join the Father. We are to spread the news of Jesus’ work on the cross as our forgiveness of sin. We are to tell others of the resurrection power and eternal life that we will share in. We know this because Jesus, proving himself to be God, rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
We earned death as our “reward” by being sinners. It is our fate and it is what we deserve. Jesus, on the other hand, never sinned. He did not earn or deserve death. But he choose to submit to it. It did so out of love for each of us.
He took my sins and my punishment and paid my price. He did so for you, too. He saw each of us and said, yes, I will do this for you. If it were only for me alone, he still would have said yes. Thankfully, he was able to provide this sacrifice for anyone who will accept it as a gift. He took the punishment so we don’t have to. The sin debt has been paid.
Right after Jesus gave up his spirit, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem was ripped in two. This veil kept man from entering the area of the temple which was set aside for God’s spirit to inhabit.
Man was not allowed direct access to God the Father after the original sin. Our spirit had died, just as was promised would happen if we disobeyed God. Our link and our access ceased. God is good and holy and cannot have sin in his midst. So we were kept separate.
When Jesus died, he paid the price for our sins and re-established the link between God and man. The veil ripping was the destruction of the block between us. When we become Christians, our sins are washed away and God remembers them no more. We are reborn spiritually and the connection is there once more. We can now approach God directly.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he proved that he was God. He promised this would happen and it did. While he submitted to the agony of death and separation from the Father, death could not hold him. He rose from the dead three days later with an eternal resurrected body. He is alive and is with the Father waiting for the time when he is allowed to return for us.
He promised that we would share in his resurrection and that is the promise that Christians know to be true. Sure, there are times when the enemy puts doubts into our minds. That’s what an enemy will do. They will try to break up the stronghold. When that happens, do as I do and ask God to remind you of all the times that you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was working in your life. When I think of those times, my doubts disappear.
This is what the good news is about. We are to share this throughout the world. Jesus has told us to do this and then the end will come. For Christians, the end means the time when we are reunited with God forever. For us, it is a time that we look forward to with all of our heart, soul and mind.
However, for the unsaved world, it is a different story. Those who are not Christians will not share in the glory of heaven with us. They will be forever condemned. That is why Jesus tasked us with spreading the news of his sacrifice. He wants everyone to accept his gift of salvation and share eternity with us.
It’s easy to find excuses for not obeying his last directive. I’m too busy this week. I have work I have to do. The kids need extra help. I’m tired. I’m sick. I’m shy. I don’t like talking to strangers. I’m afraid of people I don’t know. I don’t know what to say or do.
I know all the excuses because I’ve used them all myself. I can’t tell you the times that I could have talked to others. My husband used to laugh and say that if he left me alone anywhere for more than three minutes, he would come back to find a stranger sharing their life story with me. It wasn’t anything special about me, it was God bringing someone to me who needed to hear about him.
Most of the time, I failed miserably and didn’t share a word about God. The few times I did, the person I was talking to was receptive and asked questions. While I never led anyone to accepting Christ, I like to think I helped plant some seeds in those individuals that other Christians could “water” with the word of God and see the rebirth of that person.
The thing is, you never know what a person is going through. You don’t know where they are on their spiritual journey. That they are on such a journey is beyond doubt. We are all born desperately trying to fill the empty spot inside that is God shaped. It calls out and cries constantly to be filled. It may be that you are the one and only person who may ever speak to someone about Jesus. That may be the work you were created to do.
What I’ve learned recently is that once you start sharing, it becomes easier. It can only be done as appropriate. Work, I’ve found, is not the right place or time if the workplace does not allow for this type of discussion. Be aware that the workplace can extend to lunches, dinners, etc. If it is work-related, it is to be governed by the rules of the company. Just as with rulers, we are to respect those who are placed in positions above us.
Otherwise, I don’t force myself on anyone but I will tell them what I think. If they are receptive, great. If they aren’t, great, too. Either way, I pray for them. God is working with them or they would not have come into my sphere of influence.
The other thing I have learned is to be completely honest. I tell about my experiences and how God has worked with me. I share that I have been stiff-necked and hard-headed. God has had to knock on my head a number of times to get my attention. I share about how I thought that I didn’t need God because I was a pretty decent person. That was, until I discovered that I was as evil as evil could be.
If you are a Christian and trying to find how God wants to use you, know that sharing the good news is for all of us. Beyond that, God definitely has a job for you and a path that he wants you to follow. Ask him to point the way for you and to keep you on the path.
I found that writing this blog was something he wanted from me. This is about him and not about me.
Recently, I’ve felt that there is something more for me to do. I’m still house-bound (even more so since I hurt myself a couple of weeks ago as it is difficult for me to walk – but it’s getting better everyday), so I have to find ways and means to reach out from where I am. I am thankful for the reach of the internet as it appears, at least for now, that this is the venue that I am to use.
I’m back to seeking God’s direction for what is next and in addition to what I am doing. If I may ask, could you pray that God will direct me to what it is that he wants for me?
At the same time, pray for direction yourself. You may be on your path but, like me, there is something more for you to do. You may be searching and trying to figure it out on your own. Remember, our knowledge is foolishness and our ways are our own. Ask God to direct you and you will find your path and it will be straight and true.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.