It is a Bad Time to be Anything but Good
Every so many years, I often catch this thought. But the year 2020 is different. It is much different. Hate and evil have magnified into this huge pit of anger, despair, frustration & anxiety. Our problems are not carnal. It is not just the media influence or race or COVID 19. We are in a spiritual war against something that wants to steal, kill & destroy us. Right now, I would say that he isn't doing a bad job at reaching his goal.
I have caught myself thinking... "It's a bad time to be..."
A cop.
A healthcare professional.
A teacher.
A soldier.
African American.
Caucasian.
A parent.
A student.
A private business owner.
A church leader.
A government official.
So much tension in this world from racial injustices & defunding the very people who are supposed to meet us at our worst moments. So much tension over COVID-19, closures, wearing masks. So much tension over schooling for our children. Should they go back? Should the learn from home?
So much tension over parenting.... how will we afford our children staying home? How will we afford childcare? Will my child fall behind? Will I have to leave my job to teach them? How will we pay our bills?
Tension for school teachers. Do I support what the government is telling me to do? How will I communicate to my children? Their parents? How will I teach 20 kids online to turn back around and teach my own family their lessons? Will my class fall behind? Will they learn? Will they be engaged?
So much tension in the healthcare field... We are told to wear masks at all times yet we are running low on PPE. Do we have enough funding to keep employment? Why are our patients having a significant increase in sleeping disturbances, depression & anxiety, ADHD & other behavioral concerns?
Imagine being a military family and being told it is time to completely uproot your life to a new place.. but wait... it may be a few more months because COVID 19 has delayed all movements. You sold your house, have your belongings in storage? Just hang tight for a month... or 6.
Imagine being deployed. Already isolated and away from your family.. then being told that you have to isolate even further. Go to work. Do your job. Then go back to your room. You are ready to go home now? I am sorry.. COVID 19 has extended your deployment.
Imagine getting pulled over for speeding as an 18 yr old black male. Do I put my blinkers on? Do I reach for my license & registration or is that suspicious? Do I keep my hands on the wheel? Am I nervous? Will they think I am hiding something? Lord, please protect me from prejudice for the color of my skin.
Imagine being a cop pulling a vehicle for speeding not even knowing what the driver looks like. It is dark outside. The windows are tinted. Am I being polite enough? Stick to protocol. Don't engage with attitude. Am I far enough away from traffic? Takes deep breath... Lord, please protect me as I do my job and enforce the law.
Imagine being a single mother in a city where police have been defunded. There is rioting in her neighborhood & she is scared for her family. She hears a noise outside.. not sure if it is fireworks or gun shots. She hold her babies close. Who does she call for help? Lord, please protect me & my family from harm.
Yes, I would say that the year 2020 is much different from past years with troubling times. I can't help but wonder if this is a huge opposition of something good that is supposed to happen?
Christians...
I am about to get real with you for a minute & be a little blunt.
With all of the sufferings we are enduring today..... it's a bad time to be anything but GOOD.
It is past time that we rise up & say "I will NOT stand for the spread of hate!"
It is past time that we stand for each other.
It is past time that we be the hands & feet of Jesus.
Did he not teach us to love our neighbor? He also teaches us to love our enemies.
Yes.... that's a tough one.
I recently watched a local panel sermon and one of the pastor's stated "I don't think He was talking about loving someone who hurt our feelings when He told us to love our enemies. He was talking about loving the Jewish people. The people who wanted him dead."
The very people who cursed at Jesus. Beat him. Spat on him. Mocked him. Disowned him. Chanted for him to die and then KILLED him. Yet.... Jesus still loved them. IN FACT, He prayed for God to FORGIVE THEM for they did not understand what they were doing.
They were just going with the flow.
Doing what they were told to do.
Thinking what they were told was right to think.
Does this sound a little familiar?
& let's talk about his treasured disciples.
Yes, they went on & performed miraculous signs & wonders after the resurrection. Read the book of Acts! But it took a little work from Christ Jesus & the Holy Spirit to get them there.
Peter denied him.
Judas betrayed him.
Peter, James & John fell asleep when Jesus asked them to stay awake & pray for him at the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew his purpose was about to be lived out. He knew the agony he was about to face. He knew it all. He pleaded with his Father. He asked his friends to stay awake for him & pray. He came out crying bloody tears to find that his friends fell asleep on him. He asked 3 times for them to stay up and pray. & yet.. their tired & weary bodies fell asleep. I would have been ANGRY! Yet... Jesus loved his friends. Regardless of the disappointment & lack of support. Despite not being there when Jesus really needed them.
Let's talk about Paul. An enemy to Christians. His mission on earth was to kill as many Christians as possible because he thought they were mocking the law & spreading lies about the Lord he knew.
Yet... God loved him.
God wrestled him on the road to Damascus. Temporarily blinded him.
God transformed him into an apostle who wrote majority of the new testament & brought MANY to know Jesus as their savior!
I think you can see where I am going with this.
We are living in troubled times.
Far greater than I have ever seen.
& because of this.... we must cleanse our hearts & learn what it TRULY means to love like Jesus.
When we do this..
When we truly seek the heart of Jesus...
our world, as we know it, will CHANGE.
This movement will spread.
& then all of a sudden... the hate circulating on the media will not matter anymore.
Because we will know what it means to truly love like Christ.
To love those who persecute us.
To love those who have different political beliefs than we do.
To love those who hurt us.
To love those who look different than us.
To love those who hate us.
We must L O V E.
I am not there yet but I want to be. Join me in loving my neighbor. Loving those who I do not like. Loving those who do not like me. Join me in learning what it means to truly love like Jesus.
After all....
All the bad things I have done in my life.... my Heavenly Father still pursued me. He chased me. He drew me closer to Him until I fully surrendered. If you are a born again Christian, you can say the same.
He left the 99 to rescue me.
The least I can do is learn to love more like Him.
In a world of trouble,
It is a bad time to be anything but Good.
& it is a Good time to shine bright with the love of Jesus.
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