Response in Crisis. What are you sowing?
philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
A few years back, Joseph and I took a trip to Calais. Calais’ ‘Jungle’, much like the Brexit talk at the time, was featured on every headline, on the lips of every newsreader and before long, the nations lips who spoke, debated, addressed, fought, made known and defended or attacked on behalf of what they believed or stood for.
I tried to avoid all news, headlines, and refrained from entering into talk or discussion or surrounding confusion because I didn’t want my perceptions of somewhere or something to be tainted or affected by others talk. I knew much of what was being spoken, as we find today, is not the way God is speaking about it. Before we know it, we’re struggling to attach from the hype of something, yet quickly losing hope.
My response in arriving in Calais, wasn’t to deny the existence of desperation, despair, but to refuse these things to become my main filter. This is our vantage point.
In many circumstances, we’re there as a follower of Jesus to declare the things no one else is declaring, believe for the things no one else is believing, and speak the things no one else is speaking.
For years, I used to go to Soho, London and knock on the doors of brothel’s to build friendships with the women, and show them love. Usually on the other end of my knock, a door was swung open by the maid of the brothel. Though the desire of my heart journeyed there and anticipated great things, the reality was that when the door opened, there wasn’t always a smile, and on asking the question ‘how have you been?’ the response would usually be, ‘I’m so bored’, ‘another day doing nothing’. So, I’d ask about the weather, and the response.. ‘cold and rubbish, as good as you can expect from England’. This usually continued, chat about bad government and their need for money. And, I nodded my head, said I agreed the weather wasn’t great, the door closed and I knocked on the next one.
One day I felt the nudge of the Father with the knowledge that I was being influenced not influencing as He had called me to do.
See our mouths dictate the trajectory of our lives, and doing nothing to dictate the cycle, I was caught up in theirs, listening and failing to challenge or bring a new course of conversation or direction to what had been existing. I had become a thermometer and not a thermostat.
See in the kingdom, we as followers of Jesus, get to set the thermostat of places, and watch earth bow to heaven.
My next visit looked VERY differently as I actively made the decision to not be defined by negativity or my circumstances, not to fear or fear being the influencer. Yes, it was awkward, but I chose not to unconsciously agree with anything that didn’t inspire hope, and I started bringing to the table something different. I offered them what my heavenly Father was giving- joy, healing and freedom. And do you know what? I soon saw those places, and my relationship with those within them change.
Often we’re not even aware that we’re not representing Jesus . We think we’re exempt because we don’t think bad thoughts or swear, or cheat. Yet, as lovers of the King, EVERY part of life needs to be glistening with hope. If i’m not proclaiming the outrageous hope of the bible something needs to change.
Many of the promises of God are unfulfilled because His people are ignorant of what they are. As a result, the devil, finds his way in, not because of his strength or his cunning but because of our lack of understanding. Steve Backlund said: ‘The enemy kills steals and destroys because of our ignorance not because he is powerful.’ Satan delights in our fear, in our disillusion and in our confusion. He delights in our lack of hope and small talk that lacks purpose or direction, and he will do everything he can to keep us in this place.
We craft the environment around us by either partnering with fear or partnering with hope. We need to sow hope, and we can be the most hopeful people on earth right now. This is an amazing time to show more of who He created us to be.
People ask where is God in evil, and I think a more apt question are where are His people? Jesus is reflected within His people, and the hope of glory is reflected in His people. What are we reflecting?
The truth is that God is not worried. That’s because He doesn’t see how we currently see the situations around us. Heaven lacks no resource for any situation, and there are resources for every giant in our land, whether that is poverty, genocide, Isis, or Brexit.
God is not longing for the resurrection of Britain that is once more part of the EU, because He knew before you were born, that this would happen, and, He already has a solution.
So we must remain in hope. And how do we?
1) We ask for eyes to see the situation as He does. We need to see from heaven’s eyes because we wouldn’t last long in the hope derived from our own. If we see something as it will be in the future, restored, whole, full and healthy, it is much easier to pray from this position. We must pray from hope, and not despair. In 2 Corinthians we read, ‘So we do not lose heart. […] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.’
2)We must also seek to understand more of the God we are putting our faith in. If we knew His nature we would know that His heart burns for this earth and its people and that He is longing to heal the land (2 chronicles 7:14) It is sometimes a lack of understanding who God is why we struggle to understand that He does have a solution. He truly is the hope of the world!!!!
The Israelites had no idea who they were or who their God was. It wasn’t that the promise they would possess the promised land was eroding, it was their poor conception of who they were and who they understood God to be. It was fear that cost the Israelites this land, and it would take an entirely new generation of people to enter into it. The promises of God never change, but man’s fear and lack of understanding can hinder the destiny He has for us. God fed 5,000 people in a day with 5 loaves and 2 fish, and the heart of a boy who believed that his offering could contribute something. What if you believed your prayer made the earth tremble, or what if you asked the question, could a nation be saved in a day?
3) Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips; but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in our hearts. We need to change how we’re speaking, and exercise self-control when we speak out of fear and confusion, or for the sake of something to say.
If we fear we have not been made perfect in love, so we need to ask God for His vision and for His love. God is not coming back for a bride who is cowering in the corner, He is coming back for an empowered bride, who He has given everything needed to face what needs to be faced.
I think at this time we don’t need political answers or opinions. We need to displace what seems to be taking dominion, sowing love instead of hatred, and peace instead of confusion. For what you sow YOU will reap, and I want to reap a harvest of plenty, love, peace, joy and healing.
“You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is your security.”
Proverbs 3:24-26