Today was another bruiser considering the mess this world is in; what was going to win out... the bad or the good? Then I remembered our men's group meeting, a man said he used to go home crack a beer and complain about his rotten job... now he goes home and sometimes cracks his Bible and is thankful. He said others around him noticed a change, and want some of what he is getting... me too!
I need to be reminded that sometimes it is not enough to point out the obvious darkness but rather, at the risk of being cliche, light a candle. We had been talking about how some of the things that really "eat our lunch" render us powerless to fight, much less overcome. One man who comes to our meeting put it: "like trying to shovel all the darkness out of the room, instead of walking over and turning on the light".
We need to be reminded that the "light switch" is well within reach.
My wife showed me a scripture that is quite deep, yet offers the promise of sharing the divine nature of God... imagine, sharing in something that is not under the circumstances, untouched by it's weight and impervious to its pull.
I need that. Some days I could use a lot of that...
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
(2 Peter 1:3-4)
...it's like walking through a war-zone without a care; and one would ask... "Don't you get that our world is under attack?!" ...and simply reply... "Oh I get it, but that's not my world!" Many of us are so tied to the things of "our world", that if we were to have to do without them our hopes would come crashing down. How many of us invest in things more than people? When was the last time someone came up to us and said...
"I want what you have inside!"
Last week I had an opportunity to speak in Church, I brought up that many say to me... Jesus' first miracle was turning the water into wine... and then say we should follow His lead! Well, I would have to agree (believe it or not) ...and if we made a check-list of all the things Jesus did, we could follow it like a "bucket-list" before we die. Like have a glass of wine (not whine); go into "church" and overthrow a few money changing tables; hang out with some prostitutes and "sinners"; visit some sick people and pray God heals them; feed 5000 people; speak into the storms in someones life, and tell them to be still; put small children first in your gatherings; touch the untouchable; love the unlovable; forgive the unforgivable; share some good news once and a while.
I am inspired by those "new" in the faith... their excitement blinds their fears; their compassion overtakes their budget; their love runs all over their common sense...
and God has the freedom to light up their lives like a super nova! One of our group after hearing the message left our Church and took his wife strait to the bar... he said he wanted to have a meal and a beer while making some friends for Christ. What he found was there was only one large group out on the deck...
and was surprised that not one of them were drinking at all.
Sometimes this world can surprise you, sometimes people don't fit our expectations nor our suspicions... sometimes "bad" people can be so good, and also some "good" people can be so bad. So go ahead and make your way through the darkness, but first turn on THE LIGHT lest you fall into the very pit you have just finished digging.
Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Matthew 12:20)