Do you? If so, it has radical implications for the way we live. I have struggled with this ever since we started the adoption process. Seeing how differently the rest of the world lives. It's hard to see life there and life here. How do we just go on living like this?(speaking to myself here too!)
This isn't the way God intended us to live. I recently came across(not by accident) upon this sermon series. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT but it's a hard pill to swallow. Also, just started the book! Radical is an amazing book also. Just getting into it but that is for another blog post.
I have also been reading the most amazing book ever: "The hole in our gospel" Christians we are missing it, we have to care that there are people dying on the other side of the world. 30,000 children will die TODAY of starvation or preventable disease. Does that bother you in the least? What if it were your children? Sumner County would be wiped out in 5 days.
I read a similar illustration but if we just found out that 30,000 people were killed in the US we would be devastated. What if 150 planes crashed today? That would kill about 30,000 people. We would be in shock! What if it were 30,000 firemen dead. But the fact that 30,000 children will die today doesn't move many to action because we are so removed from it, so wrapped up in ourselves, our plans, our lives. I am SO guilty of this too!
DO YOU BELIEVE?
Luke 14:26-27 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
OR
Luke 18:18-22 "A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother." "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
I hear people make excuses all of the time to make themselves feel better. Implying that God has them there(dying and suffering) and has us here(living the American dream) or saying the bibles says we will always have poor. God cares so much for the poor and I think he will be asking some Christians, "why were there so many poor in the world?"
Ready to get RADICAL for God! Are you?
2 comments:
I read "The Hole in our Gospel" a couple of months ago, and I am in the first chapter of "Radical" right now. I understand now that God has placed us right here in America, not so we can thank Him for all the blessings He's given us, but so we can USE THEM to help those who are dying in poverty in other countries. After reading about how rich we are in America,it is so hard for me to go out to eat, or to buy ANYTHING. In my mind I just think about how these dollars could be used to save people's lives. It's a holy discontent--God breaking our hearts for what breaks His!
Awesome post. We are trying to model our lives more like this and trying to realize all the "earthly trinkets' we are holding onto instead of seeking after our heavenly treasure. Thanks for sharing.
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