When I took this picture, staged as it was, there was an idea in my mind of what the church could look like on a Sunday morning when services were over and we stepped back into our lives just outside the doors. With hearts renewed and minds refreshed, we would scatter into the world shining brightly and sharing the love of Jesus. Instead, we typically go out to eat, take a nap, watch some TV, crawl into bed and then it’s Monday. Not a bad thing. God intended Sunday to be a day of rest. The “Monday” part is where things go a little awry.
By Monday morning (yuk!), the sermon topic is growing a bit fuzzy, we’ve overslept, and we barely have time to get to work much less spend a few minutes of quiet, soul-fueling time alone with God. The drudgery and pressures of work have descended upon us, and the weekend seems our only salvation. The message of salvation we were dispersed to share on Sunday that comes only through Jesus is not the salvation we have in mind.
As the week progresses, our Sunday shine gets rubbed off somewhat as we face our hectic lives, still too overbooked for time alone with our Maker, and we just begin to blend in with the rest of the world and hang on the best we can.(Examine the picture below closely!) Surely there will be time to shine for Jesus next week. This week is just too crazy to even look for opportunities, much less ask God to bring any our way! Is it Friday yet?
This is such a sadly familiar scene, when instead God intended us to be a beacon of light for Him in this world. Not to mention the sad reality of how this unnecessarily affects us personally. God did not sacrifice His only son so that we could quietly blend in. That sacrifice is what enables us to stand out in the crowd, to radiate the joy and peace we have in Jesus. That relationship building time spent alone in His presence, reading His promises in the Bible, talking with Him through prayer–these mark the path to the manner of contrast God planned for our lives to exhibit. The question left for us is this, “Are we content to simply exist as we drag ourselves through life as we now know it? Or will we make the choice of a life lived for Jesus, grasping hold of every promise given to us in the Bible, basking in His presence, love, and peace?”
I can assure you, people will notice the transformation as God’s love in you illuminates your area of influence. People will be drawn to you. They will want what you have–Jesus! Then comes your opportunity to share. As Kermit the Frog says, “It ain’t easy being green!” But know you are never alone as you embark on this new journey. What blessings God has in store for you, what grace exists for every moment. To God Be the Glory!
