Nothing Is New

The parent in me started thinking about effectiveness last night. And it didn't dawn on me until much later in the evening that I started thinking about this in regards to the tragedy in Charlottesville.

Feelings are feelings, right or wrong they are what they are. However, they are capable of lying to us and twisting our perspective to things and thinking that is neither accurate nor true. We make all kind of parameters and measurements to keep track of our progress, but the reality is that there are other factors at work that aren't often in our framework of understanding or immediately recognizable as being an obstacle to the progress that we hope to achieve.

Thus we find ourselves asking the kinds of questions that are flooding social media this morning. And they are on par with the questions asked by every parent at some point in time in their child's life.

It's 2017. How are we still having this battle? You are how old? How is this still a problem?

In the spiritual realm, it's not any different.
In church and the Christian circle, the question is the same.
And the reality is, change takes time. And it's never on the preferred timeline of somebody somewhere.

None of us are the saints we hope and claim to be.
We are all more sinful than we desire to acknowledge.

So whenever there is a problem, we find something else to blame, that may or may not be true, but isn't certainly not deep enough to grab at the root and remove from our lives and society.

Thus, the parent stands and looks in frustration at what is going in their home and asks why.
The church stands and looks in frustration at what is going in their community and asks why.
Society stands and looks in frustration at what is going in their world and asks why.

And we all say the same thing. Lord, change the heart of the person standing next to me.
Because effectiveness always begins with someone else doing something different.

Yet that's not what Jesus said.
{You] go and sin no more.

In 6000 years, nothing has changed.

Adam answered God, with it, "this woman you gave me."
Eve answered with essentially, the serpant took your words of context and I believed his word over Yours.
And today, we all take the words of someone out of context and act accordingly rather than God's Word.

So, on this #effectiveSunday I write with the understanding that we all can do better. And effectiveness starts with me, dealing in the realities of spiritual truth. I am a sinner in need of God. And upon repentance, I need to live in a way that reflects Him. And so are you. And so do you.

Let's pray that God would do the miraculous in our own hearts and lives before we pray for the one standing next to us. And indeed, let us pray for the one next to us, that God would soften their hearts and minds to receive the truth of God rather than being offended by it. For indeed God will bring about change, and though it isn't easy, it is necessary for a true relationship with a Holy God. May the church stay the course, in speaking the truth in love and helping communities deal with the struggles of society by dealing with the evil that exists at the very heart of humanity.

May we love God
May we love our neighbor.
Not as we think of love
But as Christ loves.
With truth
By the power of the Holy Spirit.
For the only cause that matters... Jesus Christ.

- PNC