Where is the Hope?

The weight of the current state of the world  is so heavy upon me.  I cannot fully get into words what heaviness I am feeling lately and why.  The words I share here may make little to no sense, but I am going to try to deliver this as clearly as I can.

There seems to be a hopelessness not just in the world but in the body of Christ as well.  I have had discussions about the seemingly ineffectiveness of the body.  Discussion of how children raised in the church are leaving it for the things of the world, and how what the world is selling is drawing many away.  Hypocrisy in the body is stated as the number one reason for the departure or the refusal to accept Christ, and how the  world is having such a decaying effect on the Christians.

So do we say " We should do nothing?"  Of course not.

So we say "How is it my fault that others are turned off by the gospel message?"

Maybe we need to ask "Are we just doing a religious activity, and are we just going thru the motions in hopes that the motions will be enough?"

What we need is to be growing in the knowledge of who God is and growing in our love for Him and others.  Lets do this thing called Christianity with the hope that it will grow us in relationship with God so we may know Him more and become His reflection to the world through the way we live our lives.

I believe we are responsible if we are causing others to stumble.  I think it ought to grieve our spirit if our actions cause another to look away from Jesus because of us saying we are Christian yet live however we want or even contrary to His Word.  The life we live is not our own.  We are to "go" and make disciples not turn people off from the message of the gospel.  I am not talking about perfection.  I am talking about living in a manner in which honors God so that when others observe our lives, they will grow in a desire for Him.  What if we lived in such a way that others became hungry and thirsty for Christ.

Shame on us if we do not care if we turn off others to the gospel message.  Will you join me today and say in as much as it is possible with me, I am going to live my life to honor God.  Not that it will be perfect, but that when you err, you go back and make it right.

Maybe if we will each do our part, the world will see the hope that is in the "Good News" by the way we live our lives.  The good news which is the gospel, and by this perhaps the depressing state of the world can change for the better.  Will you be part of that change?

Be blessed!