Where are we heading? The condition of the world is getting worse rather than better. It seems like an apocalypse, of some sort, is in the making. For many, day-to-day life is terrifying. Will they still have their jobs at the end of the day? Will their closest relationship still exist? Will their loved ones still care enough about them to check on them every once in a while? Are they alone in their fear of this mass of confusion?
Those are just the personal issues. For most of us, that is all that we dare explore. Looking at the larger problems in the world is simply beyond us. It is a chore in exhausting and futile effort. We can make some changes in our small circle but the larger changes seem to be for someone else.
I can understand that completely. I stopped watching the news over ten years ago. I found that seeing the events unfolding depressed me, angered me or left me trying to figure out what I could do to make a change. I always came up empty. I was just one person and the problems were too many.
Instead, I tried to focus on helping others in ways that I could do. For a while, that made me feel better about myself until others started speculating about me and my motives.
They were probably right to do so. Not for the reasons they thought but for the reasons that I knew of. I knew that, while my essential motive was to help others, I also found a type of vain glory in myself for doing so.
I’ve stopped that. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I want to do what is important to God and not what I deem important, even if it is something to help other individuals.
There are things we are called to do and things that we simply want to do. Trying to figure out the difference is not easy. It takes a lot of prayer and miss-steps. The great thing about God is that he is patient. He waits for us to get back on course when we have stepped out on our own.
Still, some days I wish there was more that I can do. For instance, I wanted to help at my local church. I can’t go to the sanctuary because of health reasons, so I thought helping the online ministry would be a good fit.
Here’s the rub. I’ve volunteered more than once. Certainly, one could even say, one time too many. While I have been told that someone would get back to me, no one ever has. At first, it was a little bit hurtful but I took it to God in prayer.
Once again, I found that I was trying to do what I wanted and not necessarily what God wanted. Maybe I can help at my church or maybe I am to be helped by them. Who knows? I know that I can still email with words of encouragement or questions to the pastoral team. That is enough for now. If there is something for me to do, then God will open the door. At this point, though, I’m done volunteering and will wait patiently.
That doesn’t mean I won’t do other things, just not those things that I thought I would and should do. I somehow think that what I will be called to do next will be something that surprises me and makes me ponder how in the world I can get it accomplished.
If we are called to do only what we are good at, then we can congratulate ourselves on the results of the work we have accomplished. If, on the other hand, we are called to something new, different and even difficult, then we will know that God is the one working through us and we are his hands and feet.
I’ve always been fearful of telling others about Jesus and his saving power. Even so, I’ve done so. I don’t know with what success, if any, but I know that I feel that God is with me at those times. I don’t need to know anything more than that.
A lot of Christians have problems sharing about their faith. It’s really important for us to do so. There are people in our lives that we think are Christians but who may be what I call, cultural Christians.
Their family went to church (at least sometimes) and they celebrated Christmas and Easter. They prayed to God at Thanksgiving. They may have even attended church as adults, maybe even every Sunday. They might be on worship teams, leadership teams, etc. Just serving at the church doesn’t mean that they have experienced the saving power of Jesus Christ.
When I talk to other Christians, at some point these days, I try to ask when they became a Christ-follower. I’ve found that born-again Christians can point to a time in their lives when they came to the end of themselves, surrendered to God and asked Jesus to save them.
The individuals who make my cultural Christian antenna go up are those who say that they have always been a Christian and that their parents were, too.
It’s easier to share Jesus with someone who has always denied him than to share with someone who believes themselves saved because they are from a long term Christian family. They are not as open to hearing that there is more than they have experienced so far. They certainly don’t want their Christianity questioned and maybe for good reason. They like living the way they do and don’t want to upset the boat. It is not easy to acknowledge that you are a sinner when what you want to be thought of is a “good Christian”.
Still, this is not a small thing to let pass by. This is their eternal soul that is at question. I wonder how we will answer to God about those we didn’t speak to when we had the opportunity. Perhaps we are the only person they will ever meet who can explain the love of Jesus to them.
Remember, there will be many who cry out that they knew Jesus and still, they will be excluded. See, knowing Jesus isn’t enough. Satan knows Jesus. All of the demons know who Jesus is. So, if you know someone who knows Jesus but may not be born-again into his kingdom, it is important to talk to them about salvation. It won’t be easy and it may take a delicate touch.
I’ll be honest, my first step is going to be to email our pastor and ask him to preach on this subject. Even if it doesn’t touch the individuals I am concerned about, it will help others. It will also give me a starting point for future discussions with those that I do know.
I may not be able to change the world but I can work with God to make changes of importance in my own life. I can reach out to others by telling them about those changes and hope that this will help them see where they need to trust in God and make changes, too.
I would like to say that we can all make small changes and the world will change too. It will somewhat but, according to the Bible, we are on a collision course with history. The end was known by God from the beginning and he has told us how it will end. Sadly, that means this world will be brought to the utter brink of disaster. So far so, that if God doesn’t step in, we will entirely destroy all life.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’