“Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you
also will appear with Him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2-4
I believe that this is not a time for the church to wallow
in negativity. We need to be positive! Though things around us may seem bad, I
believe that this is the church’s finest hour.
There’s so much going on in the world today that seems so
disturbing. Has it always been this
bad? Sometimes I wonder if it’s not so
much that the world is getting worse, but the fact that we know so much. At any moment, at our very fingertips, is a
plethora of information. We have 24-hour
news broadcasts. We have greater access
into each other’s lives via things like Facebook and Twitter. On one hand, we have access to a lot of cool
information and the world is more connected.
On the other hand, I wonder if we really have better and more quality relationships. And there’s a lot going on in the world that
sometimes I’d rather just not know about.
The prophet Daniel spoke of a future time when “many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4) We are certainly living in those times. Despite our knowledge, I am inclined to
believe that things are getting worse. Speaking regarding the end of the age, Jesus said
that “lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew
24:12) He also said that “many will be
offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” (vs. 10)
But Jesus also said this:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a
witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (vs. 14) This part gets me excited! No matter how bad things get, there’s going
to be some people who are burning bright for Jesus, filled with holy passion to
see God’s kingdom established on earth.
I think we need to really focus our eyes on God’s
kingdom. Our purpose is to experience
His presence and to expand His kingdom on earth. Our mission has not changed. No matter what is going on around us, the
Great Commission has not changed. God is
still a miracle-working God, a God of power who can do the impossible through
us. He can work miracles through your
life, through my life, and touch others with the power of His love.
Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on
things on the earth.” I am disturbed
just as much as you are regarding things going on in this world today. I don’t think God expects us to live in a
la-la dream world out of touch with the realities of what’s going on. We should be concerned and we should
pray. But our prayers and compassion
should move us to take positive action.
One of my favorite verses is in Matthew 9. Verse 36 (NIV) says that when Jesus “saw the
crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus’ compassion
motivated him action, to touch hurting and broken humanity. “Then
he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask
the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Look upward, my friends, our redemption is
drawing near. And look outward, my
friends, the fields are ripe for harvest.
May we all take our place and do our part. May our hearts burn with fire and passion for
Jesus!
