Clay in the Hands

One of the best movies I have seen in recent years (yes, years) is To Save a Life (for more info on the movie click here).  It is a story of a high school senior who comes to realize that there is more to life than being popular and having fun.  He and a childhood friend had become estranged.  He had gone the popularity route and his friend had been left behind and shunned.  After years of being alone, the friend took his own life.  At that point, the main character realizes that there has to be more to life than what he is experiencing.

He begins to give God a try – trying out a youth group in a local church.  But there he finds a bunch of kids who are just playing at being Christ followers.  In one scene, out of frustration he asks the youth pastor why the church is full of of fakers.

That scene still haunts my thoughts and burdens my heart.  Why?  Because it is true.  People are hurting and even dying all around our manicured lawns and pristine buildings while we sit inside and play Christian so that we can feel better about ourselves for another week.

Wow, that was harsh!  But please understand my heart in saying it.  God has no plan B.  God’s one and only plan is for Jesus followers to be salt and light in a world that is tasteless and dark.  If people are going to be drawn to God then Jesus must be lifted up and if Jesus is to be lifted up, that must happen through us – the way we live, the way we love, the way relate to others.

I realize, if you have even made it to this point in this post, that I may have offended you to the point that you never visit this blog again.  I certainly pray that is not the case.  Rather, my prayer is that every person who reads my ramblings here would take this as a challenge to be real.  Jesus would rather have followers who are passionate – the lukewarm are of no use to him (Take a look at Revelation 3:15-17).

God has created the church of this generation for this particular time and place.  Are we as a church doing what God expects?  Are you as a Jesus follower doing what God expects.  It’s time to be real.  Don’t be a faker.