…Of changing lives.
You can be a world changer.
You can save lives.
You can save souls.
You can eradicate AIDS.
You can end poverty.
You can free slaves.
You can rescue victims of human trafficking.
You can give hope to a nation.
These problems are not ones we can ignore. They are not problems we can brush aside because they seem ‘too big to tackle’. When we work together, in unity, to address the horrors in this world we discover there are solutions that will work. God created us to function as one unit, the Body of Christ, to address these hard issues.
Jesus set an example on how to approach these evils. Meet the physical needs while addressing the heart of the person. It is not enough to give and ‘check that box’. It is not enough to volunteer without relationship. It is not enough to share struggles without prayer.
Some of us are called to give generously. I challenge you to give prayerfully, with passion for the cause.
Some of us are called to serve in our communities. I challenge you to serve relationally- learning names, stories, faces. I challenge you to see them as Jesus saw those He healed. I challenge you to pray with them.
Some of us are called to raise awareness of a cause. I challenge you to share with knowledge and compassion. I challenge you to share with your family, coworkers, Starbucks barista, bus driver, and friends. Have hard conversations. Tell how Jesus came that we may be whole.
Some of us, like me, are called to be ‘in the trenches’ with the lost. I challenge us to show love sacrificially, until it hurts. I challenge us to remember without God, we cannot do one single thing. I challenge us to think long-term.
When we obey the call God has given us, we play our part in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. We must be oriented to address physical and spiritual needs. One cannot last without the other. Lasting impact – lasting change – happens when we remember the person’s soul when we see a starving child, a woman dying of HIV, a man unable to provide for his family. We must BE the church. We must SHOW compassion. We must TELL of Christ’s love.
Today, on World’s AIDS Day, I challenge you to think how you will play your part in addressing one of the great problems of our day. I challenge you to get out of your comfort, out of what feels good. Do more than you think you can. Give more than you want. Share until you are blue in the face. Silence means it’s ok. Set your sights higher than you can ever imagine reaching because only then can you fully rely on God, able to tell of all He provided.
GO.DO.TELL.BE.GIVE.
I’d love to hear how you have/are/will respond to the call!