PINIMAGEI woke up early today and started to write a blog post. After several hours of writing and word-smithing, I scrapped it.
There’s a lot going on in our nation today. The headlines are filled with tension, tragedy and despair:
- Earthquakes
- Rioting
- Abortion
- The Marriage Bill
- Politicians
- Cover-up
- Scandal
- Forced Tolerance (truly an oxymoron)
I’m a pastor’s wife. My husband felt God’s call on his life to FORSAKE his own plans and aspirations to “boldly proclaim truth from God’s Word and to shepherd and disciple people.”
In other words, we’ve decided to live under God’s authority and to make the Bible our standard for living. As we’ve stepped out in obedience to God’s plan for our lives, He’s called us to love and minister to others. To serve them. To help them. So, our focus is not on retirement, or a vacation home or climbing the corporate ladder. God has called us to let that go and serve Him and others.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26
The beauty in all of it is God, as our example, came to us in the very same way. I was broken and God, through Christ, offered me wholeness, peace and joy! In coming to Him, He had no expectation of me. Only an invitation. He pursued me in my weakness and CHANGED MY LIFE! We want to share that same hope with those God brings across our path.
I truly never thought I would see the day in our great country where sharing His message could come at a great cost to Mark and possibly to our family.
After tossing my previous blog I spent some time reflecting. I realized I could speak on the issues (issues that are very close to my heart) and join the already boisterous debate over the moral crisis we face in our country. Or I can just get down to the bottom of things… the solution to the madness lies with the condition of our hearts.
Saturday of last week I was reading in Hebrews chapter 4. The passage talked about the power of God’s Word. Each and every person on the planet is subject to the scrutiny of His Word. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Verse 13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the One to whom we are accountable.”
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:12-13
These are hard words for one who doesn’t want to be held accountable.
Meriam-Webster Dictionary defines accountable as:
- required to explain actions or decisions to someone,
- required to be responsible for something
But the Bible tells us we are held accountable to God.
Are we seeing accountability modeled in our government? Our society? Or homes? Our own hearts and lives?
Here’s the deal. If we acknowledge we are accountable then it is up to us to set things right. An even bigger problem is that we can never make ourselves right before God. We are guilty on all accounts.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
We must begin by acknowledging our lost condition and need for someone to rescue us.
God did what we could not. He sent Christ.
Christ tells us, The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free. Luke 4:18
Christ is still giving life in abundance. Christ is still restoring. Christ is still redeeming. Christ is still rescuing. Christ is still saving.
In a world that’s trying to shut Him out, Christ is still the answer. He always has been and He always will be. And He lovingly calls us to Himself.
When we get down to it, on all accounts, in every debate, Christ is the hope for me, for you, for our families, our society, our nation and our world.
Christ is the hope for me, for you, for our families, our society, our nation and our world.
And we will continue to share His message of hope with others.
