"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ
and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him."
2
Corinthians 2:14
Have you ever faced a situation or watched
the news on TV and wondered why God does not intervene? We may find ourselves
asking that question because we live in a world where we receive news
instantly and are bombarded with stories of abuse, terrorism,
poverty, hunger, disease, murders, kidnappings, and other painful things.
Some of us even have firsthand knowledge of these terrible things. For me, the
questions often surface when I see the face of a starving child on TV, listen
to a news report about a baby whose parents shook him to death, or hear of a man
who has brutally molested, sodomized or raped a child. They also surface when I
hear that a student killed another student or hear hateful words people use to kill the spirit of others. I wonder shy God didn't do something. The more I study the Scripture, the more I
believe this is an inappropriate question, because God did do something!
He sent His Son so He could redeem us and when He redeemed us
He put a new heart within us. He gave us His Spirit to renew our hearts day by
day. He instructed us to let all bitterness, wrath, anger,
clamor, and evil speaking, to be put away from us along with all malice. He
told us to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving just as Christ
forgave us. In the gospels He went so far as instructing us to love our
enemies. He wants us to make a difference. We are to spread knowledge of Him to the world. We are not to just do that by
teaching the Scripture but by living it out through our actions and our
words.
So what
does that mean for us at a personal practical level? When we are around those
who are slandering and gossiping and biting each other, God wants
us to use words that affirm and build others up. If we
are in the mist of people who are in a hurtful conflict, God asks us to be the first one to use kind words, the first one to seek
forgiveness, or the first to offer forgiveness another. If we find ourselves
in a strained relationship, God is asking us to make a difference
by not accusing or blaming, but speaking the truth in a loving way that invites
reconciliation and healing. If we encounter others who foster hatred, God
desires is to overcome it with loving acts He does through us. If we
know someone who is hurting, God desires to comfort her through us. If we know
someone who is lonely, God desires to offer fellowship through us. If
we know someone who is hungry or needs clothing, God wants to provide needs
through us. If we feel we need a more spiritual atmosphere, we called to create it.
Even when
we think back on something as tragic as the terrorist's attack on September 11th
we realize in the face of something as hateful as that was. the
Spirit of God rose up in people to counter the hatred with loving kindness. Look
at the money that poured in. Look at the
number of Christian counselors that gave of their time to help people deal with shock, trauma, and grief. Look at the endless hours firemen and
policemen put into looking for survivors and bodies of those who died. One of
the reasons God may have chosen not to remove evil from our world is so that His
goodness would shine all the more brightly in the face of it. I said at the
beginning that I thought the question, "Why doesn't God do
something?" was inappropriate. God indwells in believers and gives us the
capacity to love as He loves, forgive as He forgives and to overcome evil with
good. The more appropriate question when hard times come might be "What is God is calling me to do?” God has chosen to indwell believers and if
each one of us rises to the occasion and asks what He would have us do, He will
be visible through us. As His people, we don't have to ask why He doesn't do
something, but instead we must be willing to do what He asks. As His
people, we don't need to be overwhelmed by the dark, evil times–it is merely
a backdrop for His glory to shine brightly through us. Am I shining bright enough for you to see?
Prayer: Father, thank you for saving us. You have
called each of us to put on the new nature that reflects Your nature to the
world the same way that Christ bore your image to us. Help us to love boldly in the face of
hatred. Help us to forgive in the face
of bitterness. Help us to feed in the
face of starvation. Help us to be
gracious in our speech in the face of backbiting. Help us be humble in the face of pride. Help us to be gentle and kind in the face of
accusation. Help us to shine in the face
of darkness. Amen.
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