What a wonderful time to be a child of God!
The nation is experiencing political unrest, racial tension is at an all time high and people are frantically fearful. This past election has caused us to realize who people actually put their trust in. As Christians, we live dependent on God so we are able to thrive when faced with uncertainty and turbulence. People really don’t understand the reasoning behind this hope. I remember sitting at work and coming face to face with many angry and confused people who were puzzled by the election outcome. I remember “being still” and choosing my words wisely to not further frustrate the person before me. The bible tells us as Christians, we are to be ready to explain this joy and hope we have even when faced with hard times. “Instead you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it”. (1 Peter 3:15). I saw the look on certain faces when I explained my hope in Christ and absolutely nothing that America is facing rattles me because of my faith in God. It felt good because I meant it and because I know I serve a living God. You know people are looking at us Christians as an answer. People view us as peculiar people, who hold strong views on particular subjects. But one undeniable factor is that we are a people who love. Many of us are different, we hold different views and come from different backgrounds. But we all have one thing in common: Jesus.
It is time for us to be united. Is it time to lay aside every weight. (Hebrews 12:1). It is time to run this Christian race with endurance. (Hebrews 12:12). It is time to walk in boldness. It is time to focus. It is time to love. (Ephesians 5:2). It is time to walk in faith not fear. (2 Corinthians 5:7). It is time to strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. (Hebrews 12:12). Now is not the time to be discouraged because Jesus purchased our freedom from the weight of fear and we can defeat discouragement if we as Christians confront it. Now is the time to let faith-fueled courage pour into our spirit and be revived. We can take the example in Acts 4, after the same council that had facilitated Jesus’s death threatened Peter, John, and the rest of the Christians. When tempted with discouragement they did not retreat but they acted on faith and called on God for help. The Bible says in Acts 4:31 “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness”. Glory! We have the same access to the Holy Spirit today.
People are looking for a place to put their hope. It is time to lead them to the One who is hope: Jesus. It is time to get back to prayer and fasting. There are certain issues that we cannot get answers for unless we fast and pray. It is time to forgive. It is time for the church to rise.
I heard a saying that people reject what they don’t understand and accept what they do. Many times people reject the gospel of Jesus Christ because they don’t understand it. It is our job as Christians to explain what Jesus did at the cross and what it meant. He secured our redemption. He gave us a second chance. Most importantly He secured our salvation. We are victorious in any situation because of the One who overcame. This is the reason why we don’t fear when listening to current events because at the end we win. We have an opportunity to show them Jesus by word and conduct. This is a chance for “true believers” to dive deeper into the word, live it and declare it.
Jesus is looking for His church and for a people who will minister is truth to a desperate dying world. Now is not the time for us to apportion blame but take responsibility. It is time for the people of God to lead and look to the promise of heaven. We need to lead people to the Rock of our stronghold. The living well that never runs dry.