Our greatest challenge is to truly know the world, to choose to love it anyway, and to do something about it.
- To know that there are people who have evil intentions to inflict harm on people every day
- To know that there are people in prison unjustly
- To know that there is corruption in government, business, non-profits, churches, etc.
- To know that there are people who are bound in addiction and all the destruction that causes
- To know that there are people who go without food and shelter every day
- To know that slavery still exists in our world
- To know that many people will die today due to a lack of clean water and enough food to eat
- To know that a lot of dads aren’t involved in their kids lives and the impact it has on them
Exposure
To know these issues, we have to expose ourselves to what is happening in the world. Yes, you can get exposure by watching a documentary, watching the news, or reading about an issue, however, until you get up close to an issue, you’ll never truly know it.
To know it, you must get in proximity with it. This is why it’s important to volunteer with different organizations that are taking on these different issues. Once you expose yourself to several issues, you’ll learn what issues matter the most to you. Until you see an issue up close, you’ll never truly know.
Responsibility
Once we know, we are responsible for what we know. The question is, once you know, what will you do about it?
When we hear about them or see these things, the temptation is to numb ourselves to the suffering we see and to run from the mess. However, God calls us to run into the mess, not run from it. God did this for us… Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God knew the worse of us and not only chose to love us anyway, but He also chose to do something about it.
God is calling you to make a difference in the world. He’s calling you to run into the mess and make an impact. He wants you to play a part in the way the world turns out.
When facing these issues, it may seem insurmountable. It may seem like you’ll never make a difference. Get over that. There is a part God wants you to play. You are a part of God’s plan to deal with these issues. Your part matters. You may not change the entire world, you may just make a difference in your neighborhood, but in making a difference in your neighborhood, you change the world.
Expose yourself to the world. Know it. Choose to love it anyway. Then choose to do something about it.
- What issues can you expose yourself to in the next few months?
- What issues are you passionate about?
- What do you believe God is asking you to do?
- What issues do you tend to want to run from, but you feel that God is calling you to run to?
- What are you going to do about what you know?
Thoughts?
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