Wednesday; November 1

I just want it to stop! I am tired of opening up my news browser and seeing report of two people killed in an act of violence here or dozens killed in a mass shooting there. Multiple explanations abound over why this is happening and who is to blame – but I am tired of the senseless violence. I am frustrated watching my neighbors and fellow citizens suffer.

As I got to thinking about why this continues, my mind wandered to what God must be thinking. People who kill senselessly aren’t just violating some local law, they are ignoring His most basic principle – the value of life. Those who are impacted aren’t just names that come across a TV screen or even community members, they are His children. When this happens, He doesn’t have to ask how do we fix it, all He has to do is point to His book and say, “I have given you the answers”. Yet, my most compelling thought was why doesn’t He just end the world and put an end to this violence. We know He has the power – why continue to let things go? As I was pondering this, a New Testament verse came to mind, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9). Ours is not the first generation to struggle with why God doesn’t do something, but in this passage we might find an answer. You see, each and every day that He allows the world to continue more people are becoming disciples of His and are experiencing salvation. No, this isn’t plastered across the media – in fact, it almost goes unnoticed – however, with passing of each day, more people are saved.

I will be the first to admit that I do not understand the mind of God, but as we struggle with “whys” of violence, maybe this gives us a clue. No, God is not behind the murder and mayhem we are experiencing as a society, but if we spend less time arguing about the daily “body count” and more time celebrating the “soul count” maybe we will sleep a little better at night. We cannot give up addressing violence but must not overlook the advancement of salvation.

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more