Sunday, January 31, 2010

What are we to do?

January 30

I don’t know what it is lately but I just can’t stop thinking. I feel like God is working in me. He has something for me. I am so troubled by sin, innocent children being hurt, and the need for Christians to do ministry. I can’t know it and ignore it. We have to do something. We have to do more as God’s people, His church.

I read about North Korea where people are dying of hunger. Parents are leaving their children in the streets to die because they can’t bare to watch them starve to death. I think about the babies I was told about in Kampala, Uganda that prostitutes give birth to in the dump and leave them to die. I read about all the dear girls sold as a sex slave – some the same age as my Lydia! I hear about Haiti. I think about the millions of kids around the world with no family to love them. I see the children around me who are hungry and have no father to protect them and care for them. I want to cry, “God have mercy!” How can you bear to see it any longer? It hurts just thinking about it. That’s when I know I am not God. He does have mercy that is why He is waiting. He wants all to come to know Him so they do not perish. I can just imagine our loving God with His arms filled with babies and children whom are now home with their Heavenly Father. I don’t understand it all. I never will. I do know I hate the sin in this world. It is ugly and hurts. Over and over I see that it is children who are hurt the most. I must trust in my Almighty God. He knows and knows best. He is here with us – with all who are hurting and suffer. He is our only hope and peace.

Thinking about all this I feel I am simply not doing enough. I am so self-centered. I spend my time exercising, preparing meals for people, keeping my home, shopping, home schooling, and caring for my family. These things aren’t wrong but it is all about it’s me, my time, in my control. Maybe I should be out of control a little more for Jesus. Maybe I should let the kids friends eat with us more instead of protecting family time, go to help the women at the hospital instead of exercising in the morning, or give until I have to sacrifice something instead of giving so I feel good. I am really searching to know what God is asking me to do? I want less of me and more of Him. I want others who are suffering to know His love. I want to reach the world in His name.

Then I think about Christ’s church, what are we doing? The suffering in this world is REAL. Whether we choose to ignore it (which we are very good at) or believe it we are still held accountable to do something. Too often we look around us and complain because we don’t have it as good as someone else. Why don’t we look around the world instead and see how we can help someone else? I really think that if every Christian really did their part we wouldn’t have all the hunger, all the dying, all the sickness, all the hurting. Wake up dear Christian! What is God calling YOU to do? How can you be Jesus in this world? Is God calling you to get on your knees and pray for North Korea, or to give to the ministries helping fight child slavery, or is He asking you to go and give His love to someone hurting today? Whatever it is DO SOMETHING! Together we can bring hope to this world and glory to God.

4 comments:

The Missing Lincs said...

You are certainly in the middle of ministry for Jesus! I pray the Holy Spirit will grant you peace AND ALLOW you to keep the passion of helping others in the name of Jesus! Thank you for your faithfulness!
Dan Lincoln

Mary Blacquiere said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary Blacquiere said...

A recent quote that i read:"Sometimes I want to ask god why He allows so much pain and suffering in the world and then I become afraid that He will ask me." Grace and Peace Mary

Jeff and Rebecca Steigenga said...

Thank you Mandy for sharing.... and for challenging me.