Several months ago, I had a dentist appointment. Nothing serious, just a regular cleaning, but I was looking forward to the drive alone. About halfway during the drive, I decided to turn the radio on. This is not a usual practice for me to do because frankly, I rarely find a station I can just leave on and drive. But this trip, I found myself thumbing through the stations until something caught my attention. I turned up the volume and sang my little heart out to only find their hour time slot was coming to a close. “What a bummer” I thought to myself! But for some odd reasons, I left that particular station on long enough to hear the beginnings of the next broadcast. “Ooohhh!” I thought, “this sounds interesting!” There was a short break and I continued to drive and waited for the next broadcast to start. What was said next stopped me in my tracks — and it has haunted me ever since. This is what I heard in a nutshell.
- We, talking to believers, have wasted the past four years.
- We haven’t taken seriously the blessing(s) God gave us nor have we recognized His grace upon us for if we had, we would have taken these past four years by the horns, reached as many people as we possible in the name of Jesus.
- The past four years — that was God’s grace shed on us as people, as Christians, as American’s.
- We should have been busy reaching the lost.
- Discipling the believers.
- Growing the family of God.
- But instead, we sat and enjoyed the comforts of home, the comforts of freedom, the comforts of complacency. Never giving a thought that we could ever loss what we think we have such control over.
- Now we sit in our comfortable homes and churches baffled.
- Now we wonder how in the world did our wonderful world become like this?
- Now we fear, maybe even cry in disbelief on what lies ahead, or could lie ahead.
- We scratch our heads in shock. We scratch our hearts flabbergasted at who has risen to power, who has won, who has turned the tables (seemingly so quickly) of our nation…we don’t know what hit us.
- We ask why? How?
- We are here because yesterday we were not.
- If we weren’t the ones to fill the gap, if we weren’t the ones to be the influence, if we weren’t the ones to speak the Truth in love, if we weren’t the ones to witness to neighbors, if we weren’t the ones to change the world around us for and with Christ, if we weren’t the ones to stand up in schools, if we weren’t the ones to vote for justice and liberty, then someone will…someone else did.
- Yesterday happened and we were not present, we were selfish. It happened because we were not.
I don’t know what station I was on. I don’t even know the names of the men speaking. I don’t remember anything else but what he said in his introduction. I was struck! My mind could not move forward. I was stunned. I was rebuked. I was ashamed. I was saddened. I rejoiced. I repented. I cried. I should have done more!
So you might be thinking, “Wow, Colleen, that’s harsh.” Are you saying, “We, Christians, are all just spiritual deadbeats, that we totally dropped the ball for Christ?” No, that is not what I am saying, but I do believe we have missed our opportunity and/or should have done more. Why?
We missed a period of grace, which was completely God-given, and we did not redeem the time. We did not redeem that time because our days are now evil. Not to say that evil wasn’t present before, but it was greatly suppressed.
I am saying I didn’t redeem the time as though it were my last. I didn’t do enough. I didn’t share Christ enough. I didn’t proclaim His message, goodness, love, justice, Truth enough. I failed and now I sit in shock. I fear for our children. I long for the America I once knew.
Oh, how I enjoyed that past four years. America. Seeing made in the U.S.A once again. American godly principles were coming back…I sat. I soaked it all in. I thoroughly enjoyed the blessings of God in the land of the living. I was thankful. I was restful. I enjoyed.
In all fairness, I will say this, I personally know first hand there are churches (believers) across America (across this world) who have and do stood on Truth, who have and do speak the Gospel to those around them, who have and do reached into their communities and made a difference. I am not saying no one has, I am saying as a whole we could have, we should have done better.
Twelve (+) years ago, the man I voted for did not win. The man I voted for eight (+) years ago did not win. My response was not one of riot, hate, or destruction. I did not set fire to someone else’s property or steal their products. I did not kill anyone, storm buildings, lude streets or speak disrespectful words because the way I view the Presidency is one of respect. I respect the President of my county even if he is not that one I voted for. I respect authority, because God tells me to respect our authorities, to submit to authority but not everyone sees it that way. God is first in my life then human relationships. I will not violate God or His Word. The Bible tells us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…until it violates Scripture.
The past several years, I have seen things that I thought I’d never see in my life time nor ever see in America. But this I do know that God is still on the throne. He is still in control, but I must be doing my part as well…in the good times and the hard times. We can make a difference for Christ and country!
To complain is to voice an option and doing nothing about it. If we plan to do nothing, we have no room to complain. I want to be present and not complacent. I want to fill the gap, to be a godly influence, to speak the Truth in love, to witness to our neighbors, to change the world around us for Christ and with Christ, to stand up for a biblical world view in our educational systems and in life, to vote for justice, truth and liberty, because if I don’t someone else just might speak louder and long enough to strip it all away. May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Christ I am SHE 