Nothing that comes out of Washington or our local government changes our mission. We are still to go into the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). We are still to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:36-38). And we are still to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). Whatever else may happen around us, His call remains unchanged. It’s our north star, our constant in a sea of change.
We do ourselves a great disservice when we allow the cares of this world to drown out the voice of God (Mark 4:18-19). Our purpose here is not to perpetuate the philosophy of any government or to trumpet the social cause of the day. Our purpose is to look like Jesus, live like Jesus, and love like Jesus.
I do not mean we should turn a blind eye to the atrocities in the world or the injustices swirling around us. I am merely pointing out that when we live like Jesus, those things will take care of themselves. When we love every individual as Jesus loved us, the philosophies and ideologies that divide us will melt away. The problem we have is not with one another or even the government in power. The problem is we are seeking what we want instead of what God wants.
Our selfishness is dividing our hearts and dividing our world. Instead of a Church pursuing the ways of Jesus first, we’ve become a people who pursue our own opinions, preferences, and dogma. We leave Jesus on the sidelines and refuse to let Him take control and lead our lives. As long as we convince ourselves we know how to fix the world, the world will continue to be broken. Healing will come only when we seek first the Kingdom of God and cease trying to build our personal kingdoms or the kingdom of men. What we have today is a massive number of people – Christians and non-Christians alike – who are convinced they know the way forward.
Our infighting and insistence that our opinions are the correct ones are destroying the Church and hiding the light of Christ from a world steeped in darkness. It is not our will we should be promoting, but God’s will. He alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We are none of these things, so we need to stop acting like we are. It’s time to turn off the news, stay away from social media, and recognize over three billion people in our world have yet to hear the name of Jesus and are blindly stumbling towards Hell.
While we squabble over religious preferences and bemoan restrictions on our liberties, people are dying without Jesus and being sentenced to an eternity in a horrendous and terrifying Hell. All this because we can’t get out of our own way long enough to tell them about Jesus. What has become of the Church of Jesus Christ? When did we lose our love for a dying world? And when did it become all about our comfort and preferences? Oh Church, let us repent of our selfishness and sickening disregard for the commands and ways of our Lord.
God forgive us. God, help us seek You and You alone. Restore to each of us the joy of Your salvation and renew a right spirit within us. Give us the courage to proclaim Your Name, and the grace to love as You first loved us. Set us on fire. Baptize us afresh with Your Spirit. Send us out into the world unafraid, unashamed, and unconcerned for our safety and preferences. Let us look like You, live like You, and love like You, Jesus. And may Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Oh Jesus, let it be so.