How do we teach our kids the things that are truly important? We tell them this or that is important. We correct or discipline them when they do things that are contrary to what we teach them as important. We do our best to show them by example the things we hold as important. This however brakes down somewhere along the way. We tell our kids that it's important not to lie but when someone calls who we don't want to talk to we tell them to say we aren't here. We tell them that it's important to care about others but when the guy on the street is asking for money we grumble something about how they would probably just use it for drugs and speed on by.
As followers of Jesus we do the same things. We say that we care about people and yet only reach out to the ones who look and sound like us, or we avoid those who may smell. We say that we are a follower of Jesus and yet do things that he would never do, go places he would never have us go, or say things he would never say. I went to hear a guy named Andy Kampman speak last night about reaching the world and I wondered when our comfort became so important in serving God? I realized that I say I want to follow Jesus, but cringe at the thought of being outside of my comfort zone. I sat I am about loving people but when was the last time I committed myself to praying for God to send workers to those people who are dying without knowing Christ? Or when was the last time I prayed for those who are trying to reach them. How dare we call ourselves Christians and not hold to what Christ saw as important! Forgive us God for this injustice! Forgive us for dragging your name down to our level of comfort! Forgive us for misrepresenting what you see as important!
