As superficial and selfish as this is going to sound, much of what I recall from my childhood friendships is associated with the “it” toys my friends owned, the pantries filled with Coco Puffs and Coca-Colas, the cable television that allowed us to watch MTV for hours on end and those few friends who had sisters my age. Obviously I hesitate to say that I “used” my friends; I’d prefer to view it as simply reaping the full benefits of their friendships.
This trip down memory lane actually relates to my recent reading through the Book of Genesis where Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and at times even the Israelites themselves were so blessed by God that it overflowed into the communities they dwelt amongst. Their neighbors reaped the benefits of their blessings simply by living in proximity to those who were faithful to God. As God protected, made the land fruitful and prospered their chosen trades those blessings extended to their neighbors as well.
As unfathomable as it may be, that same grace and mercy is upon believers today us just as it was on those hallowed and revered Old Testament characters. We similarly bring God and His blessings with us into our place of work, schools, families and social circles. As a result, we don’t have to tirelessly strive to force our faith, our God or our spirituality into every nook and cranny of our lives; God is already there with us.
The truth is that “Everything is spiritual”, as Rob Bell so aptly titled his recent lecture tour, in which he explained, “to label one area spiritual, is to label other areas not spiritual” which he goes onto argued cannot be done. Everything and ever arena of our lives has spiritual implications. It is then our choice whether we allow God to be an active participant in our daily lives through actions and attitudes that are ripe with sincere empathy and compassion.
We don’t have to exhaust ourselves creating “spiritual environments” by legislating God into our world, because we already carry Gods presences wherever we go.
Case in point is the controversial court decision in the 60’s that prohibited prayer in schools. I question whether prayer was actually removed from our schools and surmise that they only did away with what was becoming a mundane and routine ritual, recited every morning without much meaning. My hope is that although going unseen and unheard, prayer in school is more prevalent and impacting than it has ever been before!
We may be asked to remove religious statues, tablets, crosses and quotations from public places, but that does not remove our faith. Our spirit remains intact. Those things are merrily symbols; we carry what is really important within us. Should we really be concerned that “they” (whoever “they” are supposed to be) will be able to silence Gods voice and His actions as it so undeniably emits from our lives? People of faith are a heck of a lot more influential than some religious relic!
Instead of sulking, more than ever, Jesus followers need to allow the principles and ideologies that we say we believe in to be apparent in all avenues of life. So often we who call ourselves Christians employee the ideals of forgiveness, longsuffering, tolerance and loving our enemies within the “church family, clique or club”, however, we act as if those same principles do not apply within the realities of the ruthless world of work, school and life in general. We cannot separate or compartmentalize our world that way. Everything is spiritual; everyone deserves the same grace…I would argue that those that have not been exposed to Gods incredible favor and love are even more deserving.
Let’s not become so concerned with the world around us conforming to our faith; we need to allow our faith to transform those around us. That we bring God into all of life’s equations frees us from having to strive tirelessly to make something spiritually powerful and profound happen. It will happen, graciously in Gods will and time.
Churches spend extensive amounts of time and resources planning evangelistic outreaches, carefully scripting perfect opportunities to “introduce God into peoples personal atmospheres” and rightfully so. However, we must understand that the most powerful witness and evidence of the Devine is a life lived within the grace and mercy of God where hope radiates like a fragrant perfume.
Now, in no way should we arrogantly assume that “believers” somehow have the market corner in terms of Gods favor and blessing. Jesus says in scripture that God “causes the sun to rise on the righteous and the unrighteous” or as the Message translation puts it “(God) gives his best to everyone, regardless: the good and the bad, the nice and the nasty”. Point is that God doesn’t play favorites. He might just as well choose some down in the dumps, dirty “sinner” with a humble and selfless soul to accomplish his will than a clean-cut, faithful follower whose hoarding his blessings.
When Jesus challenged His followers to be a “Light unto the World”, he warned them not to become “misers” of what they see and hear Him do. Jesus then concludes, “Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes” (Message Translation). Stinginess impoverishes…I like that! A convicting statement for all of us blessed as the wealthiest people on the planet, while much of the world remains ignored and in extreme poverty. It is even more of an admonishment when our lives have been graced with peace and hope while co-workers, family members, friends and neighbors spirits remain impoverished.
The intention of God’s blessings is that they be shared, not stored.
Unfortunately blessings are so often measured monetarily, blame that on the “prosperity Gospel” that promises fat wallets, flashy suites and Mercedes Benz’s. Money is fine and great, we could all use financial security, but what everyone truly needs is something more practical in dealing with the drudges of this trying life. We need hope wrapped in the embrace of a friend when we have experienced lose of health, life or love. We need the impacting words from the compassionate heart of someone who truly understands our situation. We need people who selflessly share their God given gifts even if it is as simple as their smile, sense of humor, skill with a wrench, warm hospitality or neighborly kindness.
People exuding the blessings of God, your family needs this, your world needs this…we all need this!
