March 17, 2020: I just read an article where a journalist seriously referred to restaurant food delivery people as “First Responders.” Folks, ordering wings and pizza is neither an emergency, nor courageously running towards danger.
This is just a micro illustration of a deeper ocean. At first we roll our eyes and scoff at the wild misunderstanding of heroism and move on; but let’s decide to get off the couch and operate outside the comfort of our safe spaces to actually save some lives.
What can be changed unless we make the investment to be catalysts of the Kingdom? Influence works both ways. The less wisdom speaks, the louder ignorance becomes. The longer truth is quiet so it doesn’t offend the easily offended, the harder it is to turn the ship into the sail-catching winds of freedom and wholeness.
Society doesn’t build an ideology without first believing in something it wants to represent; an ideology carved out by the seven cultural mountains of religion, family, education, government, media, arts & entertainment, and business. But really, most of all, the entire generational ground of all society is the full understanding of its God-inspired purpose and identity.
Let me stop right here for a moment to remind you of the reasons Jesus went to the Cross for you. He did it so you could have a hope and a future. He did it to cleanse you of all your sins. He did it so He could live in you and through you. Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth. Snap out of it! Stop repeating incomplete and incorrect theology. Are you healed and in His fullness or not? Are your chains broken and are you capable or not? Did Jesus settle it for all humanity or not? Stop anchoring yourself to the rock of whatever sounds good for your current circumstances, and anchor yourself to the Rock of Your Finished Salvation.
What are you going to do with the time left that you have? Armchair commentary? Self-guided tours of your disappointments? Or finally deciding to be unpopular and the right-now solution to a world that needs the love truth of why they were born, why they are chosen, and who they are in Christ?
Do what it takes.
Selah.