Bearing in mind that most folks who read this page are Christians, or have some type of faith-based interest, I feel that I must get something off my chest. My heart has been bothered for quite some time by the way we, the Church, are not always consistent in our walk as in our talk. These next few paragraphs are simply a reflection of what my heart has been dealing with lately and now feeling led to share with you.
The Church (i.e., the universal fellowship of believers) is under tremendous attack today and I’m not convinced we are rising to meet the challenge. Financial crises, political campaigns, foreclosures, increase in crime, the continuing collapse of moral standards; all these are pushing the stress buttons of all our lives. Illnesses, loss of jobs, disregard for laws and public officials; all these just add more to the pressure cooker of our lives until that little thing-a-ma-jig that rattles on top is close to blowing off into space. All these things affect us, Christian or not, because the actions of the world make no exception for those of us in the faith. However, we do have the hope of One who is in control of this world and our lives. Do we forget this? Do we just ignore it? Why do we not live it?
In Deuteronomy 31:6, we are reminded by God that in the face of the evilness and corruption of this world that He will “never let us down or forsake us.” We all know this in our heads, but do we really believe it in our hearts? If so, then why do we let the things of this earth defeat us? Why do we not live the victorious life that we have at our fingertips? The Church is to be the seasoning of this world, the ones who add a little flavor and spice to the mundane, the ones who are to set the standards so that those who need hope, encouragement, and peace can find the way to God. Even if they have chosen to not believe in Him, He still Loves them and wants the best for them.
We do not hold our leaders accountable for God’s standards. We allow all the things of destruction outlined in Romans 1:28-32 to become acceptable in the law of this country. In order to keep the peace (or out of fear of rejection and consequence), we do not speak out in our homes, jobs, churches, schools, or communities when things we know to be wrong under God’s standards are done. We just sit back, bite our tongues, and say a little prayer. Well, sometimes folks…prayer just don’t cut it. We need to put feet to those prayers and stand up for what we know to be right. If we don’t, then we deserve what we get.
Make sure that our elected officials are upholding the standards in which we believe, make sure our church leaders are preaching and living according to the ways of God, make sure that we do not condone the wrong actions of those we come in contact with each day. We know the way to a life of joy, peace, contentment, and most importantly, a life where we are never alone and without direction. God promised us He would never leave us, forget about us, or be somewhere else when we need help. He is always there and all He wants is for us to Go, Tell and Love. So, what’s the problem, Church? It’s time to stand up!
And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.
Jimmy Cochran is a resident of McDonough, a musician, a minister and the author of Being God’s and Staying God’s, both available at Amazon.com. Being God’s is also available at Moye’s Pharmacy in McDonough.
