It Is Prime Time For Participation

Last night I was drinking wine and playing Pictionary with some friends after a gallery opening and posed this question:

What issues do you care about?

That evening everyone had an answer, and I would suggest that if you are able to take a hard look at our society and not find anything that deeply wrenches your soul in the deep of night - then there is something seriously wrong with you.

However, it is never enough to just recognize the problem.

Right now we are living in a society where it is prime time for participation.

Or to put it another way, "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few".

This quote taken from the 9th chapter of Matthew shows the people of God in a serious plight. They were lost, handicapped, confused and run down to the point that Jesus felt compassion towards them. They were sheep in need of a shepherd - they were a people who were hurting, who were struggling, who had unmet needs.

And as we look out into our communities today we see many unmet needs, many people who are not reaching their potential - people who are suffering - physically, mentally, and spiritually.

And yet, from a Christian perspective, these times of crisis are also times of opportunity. The "harvest", the chance to help people, the ability to live a meaningful life, a life that transcends merely taking care of yourself, is indeed plentiful.

The tragedy is that even thousands of years later - the laborers are still few.

For those who do labor - I offer these two thoughts.

First, do not neglect the power of prayer. It works and it is free.
Pray with anticipation. Pray to the Lord to bring in the harvest. Pray for other people. Put people on your prayer list.

I challenge all Christians who read this to make a prayer list of people, whether strangers, family, or friends and simply pray for whoever is on your list and see for yourself the grandeur of God.

There is nothing more powerful than prayer. It puts you in the presence of and in conversation with an all powerful and all loving Heavenly Father for whom all things are possible.

Secondly, go with authority.

The enemy is nothing to play with. There is a great passage in Acts where someone is trying to cast out a demon in the name of Jesus and his servant Paul.

The demon replies, "I know Jesus and I know Paul but who are you?"

Whatever need you are trying to meet, whatever harvest you are trying to gather, whomever you are trying to help - it is impossible for you to be successful without building sincere, authentic, and personal relationships.

Whether you need to build your relationship with God or build your relationship with the community you are trying to help - relationships are the foundation of authority.

Ultimately, it is our relationships with other people that enable us to do the most good. It fuels our ability to help, to harvest, and to love.

We live in a season where the harvest is plentiful.

We live in a time that needs us to go from spectators to active participants.

Now is the prime time for participation. Now is the time to dedicate our entire lives to improving the communities, the cities, and the world in which we live.

I pray that you can find a cause that keeps you up at night.

I pray that you can love your community with all your heart.

I pray that you can labor until you are able to transcend yourself and live a life of servitude and love.

Amen.