You want to change the world?
Today I had one of those conversations where all concerned really really want to change the world. We were musing in our usual Wednesday lunchtime way about the reality of God and the need to be constantly reminding each other of the truth, being honest about our sin and messy lives and wanting to speak God’s truth and grace to each other. We inevitably fell to talking about how little this happens in our church. It’s easy in conversations like this to get all fired up and frustrated and think that we’ve found the idea that can change everything. If only everyone thought as we did and were as enthusiastic as us.
However, there always comes a point though when you look at each other and realise that it’s down to us to start to change. It’s down to us to keep depending on God, keep being faithful to God even when no-one is encouraging us to. It’s down to us to get on and seek the sufficiency of God as he keeps us, inspires us and does his work stirring up our hearts. And finding that when we say it’s down to us, it’s really down to His work in our lives.
Yes we vitally need to be telling each other about God, yes we desperately need to be more honest, less plastic and more real with each other. But we can’t let the fact that we don’t experience that each week in our churches prevent us from carrying on with our Maker, it is no excuse for sitting and moaning but instead a spur to action, to gently loving and encouraging the people around us. If we aren’t starting to be honest, real and open then we shouldn’t expect or demand it of others.
As much as I hate to admit it, it does come down to faithfully getting on with loving the people around us, calling attention to reality and doing that in the everyday ordinary with all we meet. It’s less dramatic, it’s got less visionary purpose but it’s the reality Christ lived when he was down here. I want the big effects, I want a programme that will change things forever in our churches. I want to see and replicate that everywhere. But we’re just sinners in the hands of a faithful and grace filled God. Sinners reminding each other of where to find the rescue. Sinners who will keep on messing things up, but who need each other for forgiveness and reminders of what this life is really all about. Now if we all did that we really might change the world.
However, there always comes a point though when you look at each other and realise that it’s down to us to start to change. It’s down to us to keep depending on God, keep being faithful to God even when no-one is encouraging us to. It’s down to us to get on and seek the sufficiency of God as he keeps us, inspires us and does his work stirring up our hearts. And finding that when we say it’s down to us, it’s really down to His work in our lives.
Yes we vitally need to be telling each other about God, yes we desperately need to be more honest, less plastic and more real with each other. But we can’t let the fact that we don’t experience that each week in our churches prevent us from carrying on with our Maker, it is no excuse for sitting and moaning but instead a spur to action, to gently loving and encouraging the people around us. If we aren’t starting to be honest, real and open then we shouldn’t expect or demand it of others.
As much as I hate to admit it, it does come down to faithfully getting on with loving the people around us, calling attention to reality and doing that in the everyday ordinary with all we meet. It’s less dramatic, it’s got less visionary purpose but it’s the reality Christ lived when he was down here. I want the big effects, I want a programme that will change things forever in our churches. I want to see and replicate that everywhere. But we’re just sinners in the hands of a faithful and grace filled God. Sinners reminding each other of where to find the rescue. Sinners who will keep on messing things up, but who need each other for forgiveness and reminders of what this life is really all about. Now if we all did that we really might change the world.
posted by Kath at 5:30 pm
1 Comments:
yeah, thats me. i have big visions, big dreams, big ambitions. and really what it takes is first and foremost for me to follow jesus, to rejoice in my salvation and find peace and joy in the gospel. then take it step by step and not kingdom build for becci brown but for jesus christ. just dont know what that looks like anymore.
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