william wilberforce fought for almost 20 years to officially abolish slavery in great britain. he was opposed, became sick, sacrificed his heart to respond to a greater calling god had placed there. too easy was it to live a nice life in union with god. too easy was it to ignore it all and follow the successful life of which he was capable.
instead, he allowed what really mattered to dictate his steps, his energy, his thoughts, all of him.
it’s a funny thing, what really matters in life. i recently watched the tv show arrested development. a phrase they often use amid the dysfunction of the family that is featured is that, “family is the most important thing.” that is a good family values statement to make. amid the humor and whackiness, that is a theme of the show. most all of us would agree.
the odd thing is that this is not what jesus says. jesus says that we are to leave home, that anyone who chooses family over him isn’t really his follower. wow. harsh. this can’t be the jesus who is all about love, can it? this can’t be the god we think is all about family values, can it?
look, i am not writing this as some kind of anti-focus on the family thing. not at all. certainly, god does care about family in many ways. it is just that, there really is so much more to this life than the things we think are most important.
i’ve said many times that if every one would just live god’s ways, we really would have a perfect world. that is a simplistic statement. but, what i am saying is this…
i hear so often that it is so hard to follow jesus, so difficult to make choices for him, to live the life god created us to live, etc. i go through all those arguments for myself. it’s just that, truly, if we would all get over that and live as god intended, what an amazing place this would be. it applies to our action and how we live and treat each other. and, it also applies to how we respond to what god puts on our hearts.
what if we actually physically left our families to follow jesus into whatever he wants us to do that matters greatly? what if we actually were the good samaritan and spontaneously took a chunk of time out of our schedule and chunk of money not planned spend to help a person in need – a stranger no less? what if we sold all that we have and gave it to the poor? what if we sold our possessions, even our land, and shared the proceeds with our fellow community of believers? what if we actually traveled from place to place as needed because we were to share about the ways of god with those who needed encouragement? what if we gave up our homes and comfort to go wherever god leads? what if we gave up our shirt and our coat to an undeserving person who asks? what if we really did bless our enemies and see others as better as ourselves and actively forgive one another’s faults? what if we carried another person’s burdens – inconveniencing ourselves and taking on the pain and stress and hurt and instability of another? what if we actually did gently restore sinners and those who have fallen back into the family with god’s loving discipline? what if we did not let the sun go down on our anger but instead work out differences face to face in loving consideration of the other? what if we actually lived a belief that we are not always right, thus becoming slow to speak and slow to become angry, and take responsibility if we may have offended someone before even going to god ourselves?
all of these things come directly from scripture. i am not making this up. it’s god’s design, not mine. and these barely scratch the surface of living out what really matters.
what if we saw the greater cause of the kingdom of god – of life and love and truth extending to all – as greater than any other relationship or obligation? and that as we do that, there is blessing. there is reward.
sometimes i think i am just plain old weird. william wilberforce was weird. paul was weird. esther was weird. maybe there isn’t some greater purpose than our everyday self-pleasing lives to live. maybe it’s just some few weird people who crazy-follow god. but i just don’t think so. i think we are to all be crazy-followers. jesus spoke to everyone. we all get the same message. it’s not for a few crazies.
i don’t live for what really matters all the time or even most of the time. but i will say this. i want to. i want a fire that burns in me and fuels me every day. why can’t what i do make a difference? why can’t what i continue to give and what i sacrifice be worth it? it can be. and you know what? it is supposed to be. i don’t even mean living in uganda or the rez or anything like that. it is wherever i am, whatever situation. it is the same for you and everyone. what is it that really matters?
what if you……? fill in the blank. what is the crazy thing that would make no sense to the world, to your family, to your co-workers? what is it that doesn’t even seem quite right because it goes against what is seen as normal and good – even against how we think we should live? what is the thing the lingers deep in you that you try to ignore?
william wilberforce wanted to give up. actually, he had in his mind. he saw no point in pursuing good – no point in continuing with what he knew god had purposed him for. people didn’t care – except to rail against him. he was tired and withering. he didn’t even want to talk about things. but he was also haunted. he couldn’t escape from what he knew really mattered. and neither can we. we can ignore it. we can justify it away. we can put it on hold. but we too will wither away – not from doing what we are supposed to, but from not. we will wither away and become irrelevant.
god help us. god help us. you are with us. we have what we need. now, may we use it. may we respond. may we see what really matters and trust you enough to live it out in whatever way everyday!