Something is happening in the world right now. Well, a lot is happening in the world right now, at times overwhelmingly so. I have a friend that loves to watch the news at some point every day as the world has gotten more and more crazy just to hear about what on earth is happening next.
To be honest, it’s hard for me to hear and see it.
It’s not that I don’t want to be informed; I truly do, but after a while, the sounds and images of chaos and opinions start messing with the internal atmosphere of peace that I am trying to live in right now. Per haps you too are realizing how much effort is required to stay peaceful in a time like this.
Recently, I thought about the crazy, chaotic time that God chose for Jesus to come into the earth and live as a man for 33 years. I don’t know if you have ever read much in history about that time, but it was absolute chaos.
- -Massive wars were being waged.
- -Nations that were known as the ‘superpowers’ of the day were toppling.
- -Heads of government were being overthrown.
- -Leadership was untrusted and corrupt.
- -Whole races of people were being singled out and placed into slavery.
And yet amidst all of this, God’s people were caught up in their own internal wars. Differences of opinion that had turned into “sides” were escalating into fights so fierce they too were turning bloody. This was not like the wars we know today that are fought on the battles of public social media pages in the comments section; these believers were so enraged with the differing opinions of other believers that their disdain was turning into justified violence.
And it was in the midst of all of this happening here on earth that God chose to send Jesus to come walk out His purpose right in the middle of it and be a revolutionary. What a challenge. He had to live as a man called by God in the midst of the political fight, the culture wars, the religious fog, and stand—speaking only what He heard His Father say.
I’ll never forget the opportunity I had to spend some time with a well-known woman speaker while I was in Florida speaking at an event. After we had eaten breakfast she asked me a question I never forgot:
“Have you ever considered how Jesus was able to fulfill His purpose on earth in only three years?”
Inside I immediately wished I could say yes, but I admitted it had never donned on me. She replied, “I think it was simply because He refused to get distracted from His purpose. He never got off-message. He stayed on point.”
It wasn’t like it was an easy time to do that either. I am sure His inner circle all wanted Him to silence some opposition and speak to the issues of the day. He had to have experienced that kind of pressure, but all the while He knew the purpose for which He was sent.
Maybe we could take a step back from the comments section and simply ask, “What was the purpose for which I was sent?” Maybe even start with, “What is my purpose for this day and those I meet?” And then refuse to get off point.
Maybe just living zeroed in on our “heaven sent-ness” would keep us out of the fray and make us a modern-day revolutionary too.