The problems are too big, what difference can I make?
As we survey the current status of the culture we live in, several things are quite easy to see and one major one is that people are hurting all around us. It is easy to turn our heads and just be happy our current situation is comfortable and not worry much about our responsibility to those around us. When is the last time you heard a sermon on helping you become a better servant, or seen a book that is designed to make you a more improved soup kitchen attendant, or a “How to Guide” on helping starving children dying in Africa. Rather, a quick scan of the local book store reveals titles such as, “Your Best Life Now,” “Perfect Weight America: Change Your Diet, Change Your Life, Change Your World,” “Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction: A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams,” and the list could go on. How have we become so disillusioned that becoming a better person or Christian means imporving ourselves or our status. Following Christ never meant being famous or rich and preachers, and I use that word loosely, that teach such things should be ashamed. Take a few moments and read James 1:27 to get a pure definition of how to improve your life. What does pure and undefiled religion look like? Is it becoming a better person, making more money, driving a nice car? No, it is looking after those around you in need and pursuing Christ. So, where are you right now? Are you focused on bettering yourself, or do you see the hurt around you and desire to help?
As I studied this passage this week, I definitely felt convicted about the level of comfort in my life. Is it all necessary? What can I do without that would allow me to help others? Am I willing to make that sacrifice? Why do I feel so entitled to what God has blessed me with? I have not earned anything on my own and I recognize it as a blessing, yet I find it hard to part with. Maybe you know the feeling. The bottom line is this, God has not called us to move into a commune and share scraps of food with each other so we can rid the world of poverty. The simple fact about social justice is that we are simply called to do what we can. I can’t end the AIDs epidemic in Africa, but I can help. I can’t end homelessness in Nashville, but I can help. I can’t end the practice of abortion, but I can support ministries that offer women other alternatives. What can you do?
Check out Mocha Clubs for an idea of something simple you and you class can do make a big impact. Join us as we try to do the little things God presents us with. We can’t solve everything, but we can help when opprotunities come up! Let me know your thoughts on this lesson and maybe some things you are doing in your community to serve those God places in your path.
There have been 7 replies so far
Spot on Chad, the evangelical world has become a sleeping giant, sleeping in our comfortable worlds that are out of touch and out of reach with the real world which is a lost and dying world. We are called to be change agents in our world instead we walk around in a stupor like “Sleepy the Dwarf” out of Snow White. One easy thing that our class is currently doing is throwing a Birthday Party once a month for the homeless children at our local Salvation Army. Each month a different small group, within our class, heads up the party and we go eat cake and give gifts (gift cards to Wal-Mart) to all the children who had a birthday that month. As a class we all got together to throw a huge Christmas party last month for them. This isn’t a lot but it is a start. The children of homeless parents are the epitome of the helpless and hopeless of society. I am looking forward to this week’s lesson as we engage other problems in society and ways we can get involved to bring transformation to our world through the Gospel.
1 | calvarycliff
Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 11:26am
Several couples in our class started a ministry to the high school kids in our community. On Monday nights we open the fellowship hall up to them and offer a place to hang out, play fooseball and table games, watch sports on the big screen TV, and play volleyball outside when the weather is nice. After a nice meal (hamburgers/hot dogs only occasionally), we present a devotion or have a special speaker then we have prayer time. It has been thrilling to watch 60+ kids learn that they can talk to God directly anytime/anywhere (most come from Catholic backgrounds). Now they are learning to use and read the Bible and learning to ask questions and apply scripture to their lives, and several now have a growing personal relationship with Jesus.
We live in a small farming community with a high rate of poverty. School Administrators and the police department have noticed a drop in the crime rate since this ministry started, and several of these adults have begun popping in to check out what’s going on. Last week someone from the Sherriff’s Department came by for a visit. He left with tears in his eyes and promised to come back. Many of these kids got in trouble simply because there was nothing to do and they felt they no one really cared about what they did with their lives. The kids say that this ministry has “created a community” for them. This is “church” for them. This is a place where they feel safe and loved and it has spilled over into the rest of their lives.
This year we took it a step further. We asked the kids to give back to the community in some way. They chose to particpate in the Angel Tree Ministry which buys and delivers Christmas gifts to the children of men and women who are in prison. This group of kids provided gifts for four families (about 12 children).
We praise God and thank Him for letting us ride along with Him on this Adventure of Love!
2 | Sandy B
Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 2:16pm
Great insights guys! I love reading about the things God is showing you as you study the passage. You have both provided a wonderful example of something simple that is making a difference. I think sometimes we see social justice as this big huge problem and just get overwhelmed. The examples you shared show how simple helping is: find a need and meet that need! The formula is simple but being disciplined to act is tough. What are some other ways different classes are reaching their community? I would love to hear some more.
P.S. Let’s decide together to make a difference. Mocha Club is a phenomenal opportunity to give something small and see exactly what that contribution can do. Check it out on our site and join with us as we simply give up some coffee and give away some hope!
3 | Chad Jordan
Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 3:21pm
Ha Im only a college kid but this blog hits close to home. I have realized over the last couple of years that what my generation is looking for is someone that cares. Many of us are hurting from broken pasts. Our families have fallen apart, many of us dont really know what family is.
4 | Lesa
Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 11:35pm
If you choose to bring up abortion in your injustice discussion this Sunday here are some alarming and stunning stats (all of them are legit, I just finished a master’s level course in ethics where we discussed this). Abortion is the 2nd most common surgical procedure done in the U.S. In 1973 when Roe vs. Wade was enacted there were 775,000 abortions today there are 1.6 million annually. That is nearly one in four pregnancies that get aborted. One fourth of the next generation is being murdered, where is our outcry for justice? We are not called to turn the other cheek but to stand up for justice. Amos directly links justice with proper worship. Let’s get involved and show Christ’s love for innocent babies but let’s also not neglect the tragedy in some women’s lives that are dealing with the regret of past decisions, Christ’s love covers us all completely. Finally let’s get involved in pregnancy centers that offers young mother’s options. The church needs to be the church.
5 | calvarycliff
Friday, January 18, 2008, at 5:17pm
Our speaker last Monday at our youth ministry presented information about abortion and challenged the teens to educate their peers. One girl talked to the speaker afterwards about the possibility of starting a pro-life group on campus.
I think Mocha Club is a good example of what young adults are looking for in a charity. They are concerrned, they want to give, but they also want to see details about what their money is doing, AND…here’s the big difference between today and yesterday…they actually want to go and get their hands dirty! They are not afraid, and in fact, are eager to get a look at the problem and the people up close and personal. They want to be a part of the solution at a more personal level.
6 | Sandy B
Saturday, January 19, 2008, at 11:05am
Maybe I’m just not trying hard enough, but I sometimes feel like I have a hard time finding ways to get involved in my church or make a difference in my city. My church is fairly large (~1500 people), and I’m sure there are all kinds of people involved in all kinds of ministries or grassroots efforts to make their world better. Problem is, I feel like I don’t know about anything that anyone else is doing and I don’t know how to find out.
I’m not trying to make excuses — I know that I could try harder, ask more people in my church for ideas, or start something up myself. But it seems to me that it shouldn’t be hard to find out about service opportunities in my church. I mean, I would think that in a church this big there should be so many opportunities that I would have a hard time figuring out which one to choose!
So thanks for things like the Mocha Clubs… who can’t spare $7 a month? I just wish that I could find out about more stuff like this that I could do.
7 | krugs525
Saturday, January 26, 2008, at 5:20pm
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