Devo 20
4/1/00 - 4/4/00
"Decent Folks"
Boy what a week! Work was so hectic this past week that I probably put in 10 hours of overtime! On top of that, my agent called and said he had landed me an audition for the next Star Wars movie, but only if I could be in California by Thursday night (it was Thursday morning that he called). And so after a whirlwind trip to the land of sunshine I got back to find twelve messages on my answering machine eleven of which were unintelligible since the person was calling from a cell phone that didn't give the best reception. The last message, the one I could make out, told me that Audio Adrenaline's opening act had suddenly come down with the Sudanese flu and I was needed to fill their spot on Saturday (today). As much as I hated telling Mark Stuart no, I told him that I had already set aside Saturday as my day to work on my next devo--he said he understood and was wondering if Jennifer Knapp could be persuaded to join their tour just for one night, I wasn't sure but I said I'd give her a call and try to cash in an old favor. Now don't you feel special!
OK I confess, I made most of that up--most of it--No! not all, I DID put in some overtime at work this week! OK, OK, it was only two hours, not ten, but still I was tired! Good news though--this being the 20th edition of my devo, I want to show my appreciation by giving you all the car of your choice--and if you believe that, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that today is April Fool's day and that I was only joking. But I do want to thank all of you for reading, and especially thank those who have taken the time to reply with a note of encouragement--you know who you are so I won't embarrass you here, but again, thanks, I really appreciate it. (SERIOUSLY! I'm not joking now--the part about the car, that was a joke--but I mean this!)
Have you ever had an epiphany (no, I'm not talking about mixed drinks here!)? It's kind of hard to define, but essentially, it is a moment when suddenly something becomes clear, or makes sense. Almost as if some mental barrier has suddenly been ripped down and the truth is so blindingly evident that it is hard to imagine a time when you did not know this. Often times it seems that this new revelation is something that was known before, but only now it is in a much clearer light--the difference between looking through a smoke-smudged window and looking through a brand-new sheet of glass--the same objects can be seen, but the detail and clarity are many times greater. Like the time a couple of years ago when I was walking from my dorm room to class. It was on the stretch of sidewalk in front of the Rec. Center. I had been thinking God's grace and forgiveness when suddenly it hit me. No, I didn't wander into the street while contemplating life's mysteries, but the impact was about the same. The only reason I'm going to Heaven, I realized, is because God chose me to go to Heaven. And I wasn't chosen because of my grades or community service, it was because He loved me. What made this even more astounding was that at that moment I could think of several things in my life that were particularly 'unlovely'. On top of all that was the realization that God had a purpose for my life, that He wouldn't have given me such a great gift unless He had some special purpose for me to fulfill. I very nearly stopped in my tracks as all this washed over me. It was stuff I had known before, but now it made sense.
Actually, though, this isn't really what I wanted to write about. What I wanted to write about was another epiphany I've had recently. Though its impact wasn't as great, I think it is plenty important. What is was is this: There are some very decent non-Christians out there. What sparked this thought was a story a lady at work was telling of another lady who had been in and out of the hospital with several complications for the last few months. This lady had finally come back to her apartment and was surprised to find that the landlord would allow her to forget about the rent payments for the months she was gone. The first question all of us listening to this story wanted to ask was 'Is this guy a Christian?' Needless to say, we were all surprised to hear that he wasn't.
Why were we surprised? Well, obviously we were surprised because this was a very Christian thing to do, ranking right up there with the merciful King talked about in Matthew 18. So what's the big deal whether we were surprised or not? Now this is a generalization, and probably doesn't apply to everybody, but I think that Christian's tend to have the wrong view of non-Christians. I can say personally that in the past, I have had the tendency to be cautious, and even wary, while I'm around unbelievers. As if at any moment I expect them to tell me a dirty joke or make me smoke a cigarette or some other ungodly act. And while there are people where I am certainly justified in acting this way, the trap is to start thinking this way about every unbeliever. What happens when I do this is that I start alienating myself from those God has called me to reach. And of course, the wider the gulf, the harder it is to cross.
Now obviously, there is a fundamental difference between a Christian and a non-Christian; the one has Christ in their life and the assurance of salvation, and the other uncertainty about the future. But this isn't meant to be a hindrance. Look at the life of Jesus. If any believer has ever had the right to feel alienated from the nonbelievers, it's Jesus. Living a perfect life is as far away from a human's life as you can get. And yet Jesus went to the people who were least like Him spiritually; the prostitutes, the drunks, the tax collectors. In so doing He had a tremendous impact in these people's lives. He wasn't like the Pharisees who were too religious to associate with the unclean. Jesus knew how to look at the unbelievers. They weren't the scum of the earth, they were the potential salt and light of it. They weren't depraved demons bent on mischief, they were hapless slaves to the sinful flesh. They didn't need someone to tell them everything they've done wrong, they needed someone who could show them how to do right. Jesus wasn't afraid to hang out with the sinners because after all, it is the sick that need the doctor, not the healthy.
How do you look at unbelievers? Do you tend to put them all into the same mold of 'anti-Christian', bent on thwarting God's plan? Or can you see them as potential servants of God? I will grant that there are people out there who will remain stubborn to the end and die apart from Christ. But it is not our place to judge who these people are. Until God gives us the master list of all who will one day be in Heaven, we need to assume that even the town drunk can become a valuable instrument in the hands of God.
Again, remember; being a nonbeliever does not necessarily mean 'anti-God'. There are some very decent non-Christians out there who may only require a slight push in the direction of Heaven. But these people will never be reached unless we are willing to get out there and mix it up a little. But like the soldier who doesn't go into battle without having studied battle and survival tactics, it's important to spend time daily with God to renew our focus and strengthen our convictions.
Maybe next week I'll get around to talking about my all time favorite song. And just so my sister can stop wondering, I'll tell you that it is by Benny Hester and is called "When God Ran". You'll have to wait till next week to see what he means by that since I'm sure very few of you have heard it before (Benny who?).