In my last post I pondered on the idea of what if Christians
were known more for what we stand for than what we stand against. So where do
we start?
The starting place is the story of God’s creations. It is
the story of God creating all things. It is listening to God say that all that
he created, even humanity, is good. It is a picture of what could have been,
what should have been. It is a picture of perfection, of humanity living
amongst God in the beauty of all the good things he had created. The creation
story is one bookend of God’s story.
What would be the other bookend of God’s story? It would what
many consider being the end; a picture of a new heaven and earth, a picture of
what will happen when God renews creation and sets all things right (Revelation
21&22). It is a picture of a new Eden, the way that life should have been
enjoyed all along. It is the time when sickness will be replaced by health,
death will be replaced by life and injustice will be replaced by justice.
What then is God’s story in between these two bookends? It
is the story of God creating Israel to be a nation who would show God’s glory
and draw other nations to him. It is the story of how Israel failed but looked
forward to one who would come and redeem them. It is the story of how Jesus
came and showed what happens when God’s kingdom breaks into earth. It is the
story of how Jesus’ resurrection was a sign of the restoration that would one
day come. It is the story of how Christ calls his followers to continue to live
and bring the message into a world that needs hope and life.
So where do Christians fit into God’s story? It means that
we must first define our purpose as Christ followers. What does it mean to be a
Christ follower? Does it mean going to church, reading our Bible, praying,
telling others about Jesus, living a good life and then going to heaven once we
die? Yes for all of this is important. But there is more, so much more. Being a
Christian means to bring the kingdom of God, his rule and reign, on earth as it
is in heaven even if the events of the world say otherwise. It is realizing
that although all will not be set right until the end of time that we can play
a part in bringing hope, justice and restoration to a broken world now. We don’t
do it to speed up his coming (which we can’t) but rather to paint a picture of
God’s love and display it for all to see.
When does this happen? It happens when we partner with God
to bring forth his kingdom. It happens when we open our eyes to the needs that surround
us. It happens when we see that the harvest is not for a future time but for
now. It happens when we surrender and allow God’s will to be our will and his
passion to be our passion. It happens when we say “Here I am, send me.”
What does bringing the kingdom and restoring power of God
look like? It is found in sharing what Jesus did on the cross. It is found in feeding
the hungry. It is found in brining clean water to places that have none. It is
found in doing what we can to stop abuse and injustice. It is found in caring for
orphans. It is found in being a voice for those who have none.
This is why it is important that we don’t just live the life
but do the life! It is where faith and works come together to bring about
something beautiful, to show a glimpse of God’s final work. It is where we find
purpose and where we feel God’s smile not just upon us but upon those who are
brought hope and life.
This is what Christians should be known for!
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