Get in the Game

When I was a kid I daydreamed a lot.  I envisioned myself as a Ninja Turtle, a strong knight, and an astronaut, just to name a few.  I have not stopped dreaming as an adult, my dreams just change a little along the way.  Some girls dream of their perfect wedding, others dream of their first house, first job, being a parent.  I would also guess that most of you have dreams of how you could change the world.  Maybe you have a theory about how to improve fuel efficiency, how to reduce poverty, to make from our farm land, a cure for cancer, AIDS or more.

Think for a moment about where you see yourself in those dreams.  Are you saving the world or watching someone else save it?  For most, we are active in our dreams.  We dream of being the strong hero of the story, we dream of finding a cure for cancer, helping to reduce poverty or more.  Yet how many of us are sitting on the sidelines in our lives?  How many of us dream of making a difference, an impact, but do nothing more than thinking or dreaming about it?

We are told in the prophet Joel (2:28-29) that the Spirit will be poured out on God’s faithful and people will dream dreams, and have vision.  God made us to have those dreams, to want to make a difference for Him in this world.  Yet for a number of reasons we often do not.  It may be fear, skepticism, discomfort, or a number of reasons.  But Jesus tells us in John 15:7, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7, TNIV)  If what you are doing is part of God’s will, it is in line with who God is, and what God is leading you to, then it will be done.

Christian artist Casting Crowns puts it this way in their song, If We are the Body, “If we are the body, Why aren’t His arms reaching, Why aren’t His hands healing , Why aren’t His words teaching, Why aren’t His feet going , Why is His love not showing them there is a way?”  God calls for us to be part of the story, not just bystanders reading it.  As you think about how to be part of God’s work be creative.  You can be involved in God’s work if your skills are more doing “behind the scenes work” or are doing it from the front.

God’s call is that – He will use those who are faithful and obedient to Him for his work in this world.  So what is your dream?  How do you want to change the world and make an impact? If we believe that Jesus is alive and working in our world and our lives, and we believe that Jesus called the church the body of Christ, and charge us with being a physical embodiment of him; then we have some work to do.  We have been given a call by God to make an impact in this world, and He is calling us to make that impact not from the sidelines, not from the bleachers as spectators, but in the middle of the game, on the front lines, as an active participant in the work.

Pastor Bill