My Heart Decompressed with the Reminder of What Matters Most

I was pent-up with too many emotions and thoughts yesterday and today. This recent cluster of injustices have been taxing. Each video after video sank my heart a little more. The unprofitable reactions from both believers and unbelievers, in protest and on social media, has been vexing. To which I vented more colorfully in my notepad. Thought about sharing it and the Spirit quickly touched my heart with a “No, that won’t be beneficial. That’s your exhale.” Then as I begin to type something brief, He allowed my heart to decompress with a reminder of what matters most, of what I and so many others are ultimately longing for, and of what believers on both sides need to not forget.

The recent events (and future events, because there will be more).

The raising of voices in the public squares.

The pain and outrage expressed (whether rightly or wrongly).

All of these have revealed the need for a mighty Savior like Jesus and the coming kingdom He promised, and the need for the Church to take hold of these moments to demonstrate the Gospel with one another to our neighbors because they are crying out for a hope and justice they will only find in Jesus. If we sit by and use times like these to bicker with one another, to remain unfazed, to do nothing, then we are setting our society up for greater disaster. A sister by the name of Lisa Victoria tweeted this,

“Fighting for justice is an integral part of incarnational apologetics. People won’t believe you care about their eternal state when you disregard their present conditions.”

As Christians, part of our identity in Christ is we are His little lights in the world, and therefore we must reflect His light everywhere there is darkness (Jn. 1:4-5; 8:12, Matt. 5:13-16, Eph. 5:8-10). That is why Christians cannot be silent or inactive in the face of any injustice (Jn. 3:19-21); for a light that does not shine is no longer a light.

But, while we shine His light brightly in this world (through our words & actions), we must not lose sight that this present darkness will not be completely vanquished until the culmination of His kingdom comes (1Cor. 15:23-26). It is in that day, and only in that day, that

• every wrong will be righted,

• every injustice will be righteously avenged,

• every sin will be judged,

• the prince of the power of the air that is deviously at work in the hearts of men will be eliminated,

• death will be swallowed in victory,

• and the pain caused by sin will be no more.

There is a day where this will be the norm. But that day is not our todays. And if we lose sight of this, we set ourselves and our neighbors up with a false hope.

So does this mean we do nothing? Absolutely not! Shine the light of Christ in the darkness, Christian! If you see wrong, do right. If you know a wrong, do what’s right. Apostle Paul said this,

“8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:8-14, NASB)

That’s how you shine the light of Christ in the darkness = know God’s truth, uphold God’s truth, and live in right agreement with God’s truth. Between us shining the light of Christ and God continuing to extend to humanity His common grace, we can and we will see glimmers of what this coming kingdom will look like...

• when wrongs are righted here,

• when justice is had here,

• when the laws of man convey the law of God here,

• when people are rescued here,

• when lives are restored here,

• when pain is healed here,

• when miracles happen here, and so on.

These are but glimmers of what is coming and will one day be the norm. Until then, we take these glimmers—provided by Christians shining God’s light and God extending His common grace—and point to the Savior Jesus and His coming kingdom. 

So Christians, don’t shy away from these grim moments in our country (and world). Instead, go intentionally shine the light of Christ during these times (with words & actions); go demonstrate the Gospel with other believers (using words & actions) in the face of every injustice, so that people may be delivered from the darkness and have their hearts filled with living hope that they can experience some here and in full when it comes.

I pray this reminder of what matters most has anchored and realigned your heart and hope, like it did mine, and encouraged you on how to respond to what many are longing for.

_____

I wrote another blog-article (here) laying out some ways local churches can be pillars of peace in their communities, especially during “wrongful events in our country involving discrimination and injustice in our communities”. Those ways would be acceptable for individual Christians as well.

Also, below is a sermon I taught about Jesus being the light of men.