Chapter 24: 9-13 'Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.'
Jesus doesn't promise an easy path. He doesn't say the situations we will face in this world will make for easy decisions. Things aren't always clear and simple.
This leads me to the ever so popular debate of housing refugees.
I'm not strong on politics. I don't know the in's and out's of the financial statistics towards the situation. I don't know all the governmental details to how refugees are handled. And I know these are all important factors.
It wasn't until I saw a suggestion towards a Wichita chapter of the International Rescue Committee that I even realized how help towards refugees currently works.
But I have seen the statements surrounding the argument saying how can we afford to help refugees if we can't help our own homeless? Or another that said as long as there are homeless children here, we won't welcome refugees.
And I have seen the argument about it only leading to our own destruction. As in literally, they will infiltrate our country using a refugee cover and attack here. Or that helping will just draw a large arrow on our own backs.
The thought of opening my doors and helping, just to be betrayed made me stop and think twice about the idea of going forth with the motto driven from 'the least of these'. (matthew 25:40)
Isn't that just what Satan wants? To fill us with as much doubt, excuses, and fears to lead us to the decision of doing what's best for us, our family, our country instead of what Jesus has asked of us? To choose our lives and our best interest over him just to err on the side of caution? Just to stay neutral on such a hot subject? Just to play it safe?
Satan is good and stealthy, because even typing out 'us, our family, our country' leads me to get defensive that we should fight for ourselves. Do what's in our best interest. That you can't be naïve to the real world, and I don't want to be--but I do believe that despite all the world does, or goes through, it is our job as followers of Christ to make the decision to stand strong in Him, in God's word, even in the most difficult of situations. We don't know when the final day, hour, minutes, breath will be. So LIVE AS SUCH.
Live as if each action and choice you make could be your last and make it count for God, not for yourself or your own agenda.
Quit living to fight for a world that we are not meant to stay with forever. Quit living to make everyone happy, not upsetting anyone with God's truth. In Luke 6:26-36 it first reminds us to be cautious when everyone speaks well of you. Everyone spoke well of the false prophets, and they were just that--false. You can't live the truth of God's word and have everyone like you. The scripture then continues to teach on loving your enemies.
'love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you...if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? even sinners loves those who love them. and if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? even sinners do that.' Luke 6: 27-28, 32-33
If you were born into the situation that these people have been born into; if you had a child amongst such a hostile environment, would you not fight like hell for a better future for yourself, for your family, for your children?
When I stopped and thought-yes, Jesus wants us to help others and it's not for us to pick and choose who gets our love, grace, kindness but what would he say or do with this situation. Where there is a threat of letting some bad in amongst the good, just to later cause harm here-how would he handle that? He never had to deal with that...just to realize that he did.
Jesus took in Judas knowing the outcome of their friendship. Jesus showed him love, grace, kindness all while knowing the betrayal that was to come that would only cause a magnitude of pain upon himself.
It is not for us to fear. It is not for us to judge. It is not for us to let the lies, persuasions, arguments, normality's of this world stop us from doing what God has asked us to do and what Jesus clearly showed us to do.
I'm not suggesting to be unwise in your choices, opening your door when Freddy Krueger is standing there-but I am suggesting we quit living in such fear and caution that in the long run fogs up our minds with self interest, blinding our views and missing opportunities God has called us to.
For us, personally, we are going to start with learning how to help those in need. Despite it maybe making us uncomfortable. Despite it upsetting those who disagree with us. Despite the risks.
Lord forbid we take risks to live for Him. But for real, He doesn't forbid that nonsense. If anything He reminds us the rewards we will have in heaven if we quit playing it safe and start taking our decision to follow Him in ALL situations, despite ANY persecutions, seriously and quit all this backpedaling and excuses that we can muster up to make ourselves feel better about our lack of commitment to Him.
So, as for us, I am looking further into the Wichita International Rescue Committee that we have here to see if that is an organization that we could support, or even to start with something as simple as participating in their Christmas wish list tree. And-because this debate brought up the argument with homeless situations we will look into that as well. I don't want to ignore the needs of people local or afar.
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