In this contemporary culture so many things seem to flash onto the screen demanding my attention. Every day each of us seems to be captured by images and posts and quotes that consume much of our time. The quick witted marketing guru has tapped into the simple, short attention span at the base level of every human on social media. The picture and post title often times have nothing to do with the real story, yet you and I both fall prey to the ploy to get us just to stop by even for a brief moment to view the pic or post.
Over and over we give our attention to these meaningless stories about things that will never impact our lives in any way. Nor will our attention or involvement in that brief moment impact the lives of those we are reading about. This is a reality of the day and time we live in and yet it is not a reality that we must allow to rob us of the real joys of this life!
We read in James chapter four our lives appear as only a mist, here one moment and gone the next! This reality changes everything when we consider how we will linger as this brief mist in this world. What are the things that really matter for these few moments I call my life? Where will I invest my time and resources, knowing it will all be over very soon? What does the Lord have for me to do with these few moments in time that He has granted me to walk this journey and show His love?
In the end of this life, WILL I REALLY CARE about that cute dog and cat playing in someone's house that somehow captured the eyes of millions of viewers one day last week? WILL I REALLY CARE about the latest story about the incredible new pill that will make my life all perfect? WILL I REALLY CARE about the ten most unbelievable photographs from this century?
Or...will I REALLY CARE about the neighbor who lives two doors down who does not know Jesus? Will I REALLY CARE for the members of my small group who are going through a tough time with losing a family member or sickness in the family? Will I REALLY CARE for the children going hungry in a village in Guatemala where food is all around them yet, they are too poor to even be able to buy simple provisions? Will I REALLY CARE for those friends of mine who have moved to another context to serve and show and share the Gospel? Will I REALLY CARE for those precious children under my roof and how I am the example of the Father's love to them every day we live together?
I want my life to really matter for the brief moment that I am here in this world. I believe most of you reading this feel that same way right now. Let us challenge one another not to sit by another day and watch the videos and read the stories of meaningless stuff happening all around us while we flounder in the pool of popular culture. Let us join our hearts and our hands in genuinely CARING for each other and showing that we are HIS DISCIPLES by the way we love one another! Let us get together and address those needs of our small groups, families in our churches, friends and co-workers with real tangible expressions of His kindness that draws us all to a place of repentance. Lets commit to pray and plan together to journey to our brothers and sisters in other contexts to help them share and show the Gospel while caring for and loving on them a part of the Body in need! Let us join our resources together to build a house, feed a village, dig a well, teach a child, preach a message, play a game, visit the sick, care for the orphans and meet the needs of the widows. Join me this year by committing right now to go to the people around us who need that loving touch from the Father that comes through our hands and our feet. Lets reach our world with the truth of the Gospel and teach His Word to everyone we meet so that His ways and His salvation is known in every land and every nation! Please join me as we REALLY CARE together!
In His Grip,
JT
