Christ Following, culture, life, Love, Missions, social justice, The Church
I was listening to a sermon my friend posted to his blog the other day. The preacher mentioned the firefighters and rescue workers who risked their lives running into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks. I’m sure some of them knew they were going to die in there, but went willingly because a sense of duty drove them.
It was the words “sense of duty” that caught my attention. I realized that we as believers are sorely lacking a sense of duty. We seem to want to pick and choose spiritual disciplines, convictions, standards, and amounts we give and serve based on how we feel or claim to be “led”. I know some who won’t even pray at all unless they “feel led“.
I know what some of you are thinking, “Uh oh, he’s gone all legalistic on us. We should be motivated by our love for Christ, not a sense of duty!” You have a great point, however love is not, never has been, and never will be a warm fuzzy feeling that leads us to good deeds to put a smile on Jesus’ face.
I’ll give you an example. I’ve been married for seventeen years now. It comes as no surprise that we’re not always walking on cloud nine together. Sure we share some great moments and those romantic feelings are wonderful when they’re present. But when they’re not present, I still provide, protect, and care for my wife out of a sense of duty. I do what any good husband should do because I made a commitment to do it when I fell in love with her. Get it? We possess a sense of duty BECAUSE we love.
In Genesis chapter 4 God says that refusing to do what’s right (not what we’re “led” to do) is just a baby step away from sin gaining control over us. Jesus said in Mathew 25 that when we turn our backs on those in need, we turn our backs on Him. The absolute apathy of so many believers is downright frightening! To quote Keith Green, “Jesus came to your door, but you left Him out on the street.”
So my question is this: are you the type of person who would run into a burning building to save the lives of others, or would you rather enjoy the fresh air and safety while those inside burn? We’re guilty as hell if we do nothing. Think about that the next time you think sharing Jesus, helping the oppressed, and feeding the poor are for those who feel called.
It’s as if so many of us have succumbed to the Bystander Effect. The case of Kitty Genovese is the most well known example of this effect. Kitty was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the killing took place for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese’s death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene. I’m sure all 38 of those people thought, “Someone will help her.” They were wrong.
Like the rescue workers of 9/11, we have got to develop a sense of duty, an URGENCY to fulfill the great commission and help the downtrodden. When I stand before God, I want to hear “well done”. I want to be the kind of person who runs toward danger to rescue the lost and oppressed. It takes commitment, it’s a sign of love (John 15:13), and it requires a sense of duty.
Family, Love
Tonight I got to take a turn putting my 6 year old to bed. We were snuggled up together reading a book. It’s so great reading with him because he really gets into the story. He’s learning to read and often wants to tell parts of the story to me. I kept looking up at him, amazed that he’s really my son. I stopped reading for a moment to tell him how blessed I am to have him in my life. I told him how big he’s getting and that I can’t believe he’s already 6. He turned, pressed his buttock against me, and farted.
I love you Hudson.
Read Tender Moments I
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Love
Here’s something I wrote a while back. I’m not sure why, but it was really resonating with me today…
So today I decided to hang out with my three year old for a little while. We’d been putting our change in a baby bottle to raise money for Crisis Pregnancy Centers and the bottle was too full of coins to put any more in it. I asked Hudson if he wanted to go to the bank with me so we could exchange all the coins for paper money in order to fit more in the bottle. When we arrived, he excitedly brought the bottle to the teller window and watched the kind lady empty all the change into the coin counter. My son had a particular interest in this because, of all our family members, he put the most money in. When it was all counted, the teller gave us back fifteen dollars and a bottle with more room for our spare change.
After our bank errand, I asked Hudson if he’d like to get some lunch with me. Asking your child if he’d like to eat at a resteraunt is pretty much like asking if the sky is blue, and asking a three year old if McDonald’s sounds good is like asking a drowning man if some air would be nice. He said, “YES!”
If you’ve ever shared a meal with a three year old boy, you know there’s not a ton of conversation that takes place. “How do you like your lunch?”, “What did you do this morning?”, and “You’re getting so big!” were my contributions to the dialogue, and “uh-huh” was his. It didn’t take long for me start looking around the dining room while I waited for Hudson to take down his chicken nuggets.
As I scanned the room, certain realizations came alive in me. I noticed an older woman having a lively conversation with her adult son and I thought about the wonderful gift God gave us in relationships. I saw a young man having lunch with his toddler. He was wearing a bright green hoodie that seemed to pop out at me, and I thought how awesome it was that The Creator created colors out of nothing! I turned my head and there was a middle-aged basketball coach, from the local youth center, speaking into the lives of four of his young players. I thought about the example Jesus set when he shared so many meals with his disciples and even gave the invitation to share a meal with anyone willing to open the door and let Him in. Finaly, my eyes met Hudson’s. His big blue eyes reflected the bright sunlit sky and he smiled a great big baby-toothed smile. My hear melted and I felt such a massive endearing love for him. At that moment, The Father reminded me, “That’s how I feel about you!” I melt His heart! Wow! And he used my youngest son to illustrate the point.
As I sat slightly stunned by all God spoke to me in a sixty second look around the resteraunt, I couldn’t help but think about the words of Isaiah, “The whole earth is filled with His Glory!” And you can find His Glory everywhere you look… even at the Golden Arches.
Jesus, life, Love, Praise and Worship
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a young guy who occasionally attends our Friday night prayer meeting. There’s something about the kid that’s a mystery to me. I don’t know where his church home is, he walks to prayer even in bad weather, and he always has plenty to philosophize about. I’ve never seen him with any friends, he’s a bit socially awkward, and I gathered from talking to him that his parents are no longer together. It’s not unusual for him to look like he just rolled out of bed and came in the clothes he wore the day before. Brennan Manning would describe him as a genuine ragamuffin.
When I asked this young man how he was doing, his answer really penetrated me, “Jesus has been especially loving to me.” Pause. Jesus has been especially loving to me? Without a car, money, or friends and Jesus has been especially loving? Shame on me. How many times have I questioned His love while enjoying so much more? How many times have I felt distant from the savior because of self-pity and ingratitude?
The last time I saw this guy, he was worshiping his heart out. It put a huge smile on my face to watch him dance, shout, clap, and run around the room in celebration of his especially loving savior. Some might say he’s in his own little world, but it’s a world I wouldn’t mind living in to experience an especially loving Jesus.
