God's Way, The Best Way
Yesterday
was the National Day of Prayer. All over
the country, people of faith gathered to pray.
It was a day to give thanks for all that God has given to us as a
nation. It was also a day to look
head-on at what is taking place among us and to pray for God to move by his
Spirit and to lead us as a nation into his ways. It was a day to pray for our leaders from the
President on down, praying that God would speak to their hearts and lead them
according to his wisdom, giving them the ability to lead in a way that would
bring blessing to all people.
As I
look at what is happening among us as a nation, I can’t help but think how
God’s heart must be broken for what he sees.
It’s not just about laws but even more so about what those laws reflect. It’s obvious that our society has begun to freely
accept standards and ways of thinking that no longer reflect the purposes,
plans, and standards of God—standards that God knows are ultimately best for us
both individually and corporately. Our
acceptance of unbiblical sexual standards (both homosexual and heterosexual);
our willingness to take the lives of unborn babies; the fact that we have
allowed violence to become just another form of entertainment; the greed and
materialism that would lead to the killing of hundreds of poor people in a
place like Bangladesh; and so much more speaks to the fact that our society has
rejected God and his ways for not only us, but for all people.
So,
what can we do? I know some will be
satisfied with ranting and raving and complaining and vilifying our leadership.
Some of us may be given the opportunity to get involved in public arenas such
as politics or other influential positions. Some will join organizations that
they hope will turn back the tide of culture.
And, none of these are wrong—well, I’m not so sure about the ranting and
raving! Ultimately, however, we who are call ourselves God’s people are called
to pray. And, we are called to live our
lives as God has asked us to live them, going against the stream of our
culture, setting an example of what it means to live God’s way—and doing so,
always filled with love and compassion.
Whether
or not our culture, society, or nation takes hold of the way God would have us
live, we who are followers of Jesus Christ are still called to be light in the
darkness—to live our lives distinctly from all others. In the end, it’s the only way that the people
around us will have any chance of coming to realize that God’s way is the best
way!
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a
disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 13:34 – NIV)
“In the same way, let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16 – NIV)
Have
a great day!
Pastor
Tim Harris
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