Wake Up Call

Props to my wife for sending this link she came across today:

http://media.causes.com/544740?p_id=77580773

It breaks my heart to see things like that, especially when I have little girls of my own.

Too often I forget what a fallen and broken world we actually live in. Hearing incidents like this should be a wake up call for Christ's followers, myself included. Not just a wake up call to keep an eye out to help hurting people, especially the little ones that can't help themselves. Not just a wake up call to be report criminal activity and get the "bad guys" locked up. But also a wake up call that we need to do our part to get the gospel out to the whole world.

Why? I had a few thoughts about that.

The first is bunk and is something that will never happen, but I will share anyway. The thought is that if everyone trusted in and followed Christ, what would this world be like? What could disappear from the earth? Armies? Police? Jails? Homeless shelters? Food banks? Lawyers? Alarm systems? Surveillance cameras? Whatever-anonymous groups? Psychologists? Computer firewalls? Locks? I bet this list could go on for a while. Not a single one of these, and many more, things would be needed if we lived in world filled with disciples of Jesus Christ. But we know that's not going to happen. This world is going to keep getting worse before it ever gets better. We've got God's word on that.

The second is that the gospel, and key things that surround it, provide answers to questions that surround atrocities like the one shown in the video. The fact of the matter is we live in a fallen world with broken people that have abandoned God and are allowed to make choices. In that situation, there will always be evil. We can help heal and comfort those affected by it. We can influence legislation to control actions, even though it doesn't change hearts. We can speak out in many ways against the evil in this world. But no matter what we do, its not going away until the world is made new again by God himself.

The third, and most important, is that the gospel is essential to salvation. People can get outraged at the evil other people do all they want, and rightfully so. Just remember that it is not the basis for comparison to use when we're talking about our eternal destiny. That's what so many in the world do, isn't it? "Oh I've got some issues, but I'm not as bad as that other guy! So, I'm okay, right?" If you don't know Jesus Christ, the answer is, no, you're not. The "cold blooded killer" and the "moral man" both need Jesus Christ equally, because every single one of us has a desperately wicked heart bent on rebelling against God. No matter how good we think we are, that heart isn't made right until we repent and turn to Jesus and God puts a new heart in us.

So what's my point? Everyone needs Jesus. The "parent" who really wasn't, and the "good" person who doesn't know him. If you know him, great. Tell this broken world why they need him too, how one day he's going to deal with those who reject his Son, and how one day he's going to make this world all right again.

Grace and Peace