What to do When the World is Falling Apart

Photo by VASQUEZ.CO

My heart is heavy with so many things...

Our country is going downhill fast.  Moral decay permeates our nation, and our government is quickly taking more freedoms away from the people.  It's no wonder though....

Noah Webster, author of the first American Speller and the first Dictionary said, "[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence." (http://www.free2pray.info/5founderquotes.html)

It seems every day I hear of something else...

from legalizing homosexual marriage to taking away our guns, threatening our parental rights, brutal murders of infants to bombings & terrorism...and government cover-ups and corruption.  Christian groups are being labeled "domestic hate groups," the liberal media is claiming children don't belong to their parents but to the collective...

The list just goes on and on and on.

What will life be like in 5 years?...10 years?...When my children are grown with families of their own?

It really puts into focus how important it is to prepare our children for whatever is to come.  To prepare them to stand strong for TRUTH...for JESUS!...no matter the cost.

We must speak the truth, renouncing ungodliness and proclaiming the truth of God's word and the light of the gospel which is Jesus Christ.

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways.  We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:2-6

Jesus Christ is the answer!!

And He shines His light in our hearts, and then through us to the world!

You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 5:14 

We must be bright lights in this dark world.  We must not hide our light under the basket of fear or not wanting to offend or be labeled... or just being too busy.  

We must not let our light grow dim.  We must kindle the flame!  We must burn with passion for our King...so much that we can't help but share Him with others.  

Photo by VASQUEZ.CO

We must understand clearly that the only hope for our neighbors, our co-workers, the stranger at the grocery store, the homosexual, the pro-choice feminist, our government leaders, our children and relatives, our country as a whole...is Jesus!  Nothing but Jesus....He alone is the answer.  And without Him, there is darkness, blindness, confusion, evil, fear, depravity...the end of which is destruction.  

Do we feel the urgency?  Or are we complacent?  I'm speaking to myself here too.  It's something that weighs heavy on my heart.  Am I willing to count the cost? Am I willing to speak out for Christ?

Sometimes I wonder what this busy homeschool mom of 7 (almost 8) can do to impact our nation and our world for Christ.  God knows my heart longs to make a huge impact for Him in this world.  Maybe you feel the same.  This is what He continually reminds me of...

As a mother, not only do I have precious souls in my care that I have the opportunity to share the gospel with day in and day out, but I am also raising up the future generation!  I am a nation builder!...a nation changer!  What a huge responsibility, as I think about the future generations that will come from my children and my children's children...and all they will impact.  I have a HUGE job right here in my own home.

But beyond the walls of my home I have a commission, given to me by my Savior, to make disciples of all nations.  As I pray about how we, as a family, can fulfill this command from our Master, I am reminded of how Jesus did it...with 12 men.  He called them one at a time and poured his life into them....and then sent them out.  Again, I see clearly how God has given me 7 (soon to be 8) disciples to pour my life into, but also that one way I can disciple them is to show them how we can spread the gospel to all nations one person at a time, one opportunity at a time.

When we pray and have willing hearts, God answers with opportunity.  He is looking for vessels He can use.  

God has shown me an opportunity right around the corner from me....a dear old couple who own the land next door (or rather just sold 20 acres of it).  They are getting up in age and their health is declining.  We've visited with them many times, usually at Christmas or Thanksgiving when we bring them some goodies and sit in their living room and visit.  God has been putting them on my heart a lot and I know what I need to do.

So, before all my readers, I'm committing to take them some cookies this next week...and share Jesus with them.  Please pray for me.  Pray for boldness, discernment, the right words...for tender hearts that are ready to receive the good news.  I have put it off long enough.  Now I have all of you to keep me accountable!

What opportunity is God giving you?  Have you asked Him?  

Let's all commit to something...instead of allowing the wickedness of our world and all the problems we see around us to bring us down, discourage us, and create fear in our hearts....rather let it be a reminder, a call to action...to rise up!!  We have the answer!  Let it embolden us to do what we have been commissioned to do.  Remember, this is not our home.  We are just here for a short time, with a PURPOSE!  Let's fulfill our purpose for the glory of God.

If you want to join me in publicly sharing your commitment to follow God in a specific way, please share with us in the comments.  Sometimes it helps just to say it out loud...the first step in taking action.  Can you imagine the motivation that would give all of us as we join arms together for Jesus?  And then we can pray for each other!

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.