Was reading an article from this magazine about a new work by Brian McLaren and his thoughts about change. Here is one quote we will talk about today:
If I could speak just one sentence to young people, I'd say, "Don't waste your life in being part of the religious machine, but spend your time on the real work of Jesus: helping to actively heal global crises through the wisdom, love and power of God."
Maybe you have noticed as I have a shift in what young people are talking about, caring about and how they connect with Christianity. If you have, you have noticed a drastic change. People no longer go to church because it is the "right think to do" since their parents or grandparents taught them that. They go to church because it makes a difference and it is relevant. That is one reason why The Community Fellowship is alive and well today.
Don't you love the gifts God has given us? I do. Especially the beauty of the earth and such (saw some of that on our trip last week....see my blog for details). I believe that we have to be good stewards of what God has given us. That means we have to change, yet I believe we also have to be careful about some of the so-called 'grren earth' stuff. As Christians we need to help with the environment and care for what we have been given. BUT we must care more about the people who have been placed on this planet. Their needs, their lostness is what Jesus died for and lived (and lives) for.
That means there must be some change. By the way, change brings fear. It pushes us away from where we are comfortable. Change makes us look in the mirror and then look around us to see if we really are making a difference in the world we live in.
Chase the Lion has brought us to understand better how to defy odds, take risk, seize opportunities and now to face and overcome our fears. (don't miss the rest of this series at The Community.) We will talk more about this in the coming 5 devotions or so, but here are some God thoughts about change and fear (and I leave you with these):
2 Timothy 1:7 (nlt) --- For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
1 John 4:18 (nlt) --- Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Matthew 10:28 (nlt) --- Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
2 Corinthians 7:9 (nlt) --- Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
Is God trying to see how we must change so that we can have a great impact on earth and in our community for Him? Change is hard. God is calling us to face our fears head on and to seize every opportunity so that people will come to know Jesus in big ways. Lets chase the lion together...
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