General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote this in 1942 during the Second World War, “This is a long road we have to travel. The men who can do things are going to be sought out just as surely as the sun rises in the morning.”
We have witnessed a continuous erosion of morality and ethics in our culture for several decades, and now we are seeing a growing anti-Christian sentiment in the public arena. The church has been losing the cultural battle for some time, but this should not drive us to despair as believers in Christ. Our mission has never been to change culture; our mission has always been to draw people to Christ and to make disciples for our Lord. Perhaps, one of the unintended tragedies in this battle for culture is that too often the church is identified more by what we are against than what we are for.
We are surrounded by a sea of lostness and the only hope for those drowning in these dark waters is Jesus Christ. As a believer living in this post-Christian nation, I do not want my neighbors to know what I stand against, as much as I want them to know what I am living for. Building a moral majority is not the answer for our time. The answer is drawing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
This road may be difficult and long, and it will require doers of faith. We will not change lives with picket signs and votes in ballot boxes. But, we will make a difference by boldly demonstrating the life-changing power of Christ in how we live. This is a time for the church to seek out men and women who are willing to wade into the waters and be doers for Jesus’ sake.
Real ministry has always required those who follow Christ to roll up their sleeves and enter the muck of this world. This is one of the reasons why ministries like disaster relief is so effective in breaking down barriers to the Gospel. As volunteers offer help, healing, and hope to hurting people, it opens doors to share about Christ. In these tough places of ministry, most do not care about my views on same-sex marriage, abortion, or gambling. They need the compassion of Jesus, and to hear the hope of the Good News. As Scripture tells us, the harvest will come for those who do not grow weary in doing for the Lord’s sake.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)
Thanks for reminding us how important it is to roll up our sleeves and BE the church if we want to break down barriers to the Gospel in our culture.