Perhaps one of the most powerful conversations I have had with the Lord happened after my first son was born.
God asked me if someone brought me to the top of a Skyscraper and told me if I walk across this beam without any safety ropes to the neighboring Skyscraper I’d get 1 million dollars, would I do it?
My answer? Absolutely not.
$2 million? No.
$5 billion? Nata.
Now, what if a person was holding my son, and they told me they would drop him if I didn’t cross the beam…would I do it then?
In a heartbeat. And as fast as I could.
But, what if my child was on one end and a rooftop full of children were on another end, and I had to decide which I’d be willing to give up to save the other…now what would I do?
Honestly, it’s still very hard for me to process. Any loving parent couldn’t imagine having to choose between their children and a rooftop of someone else’s.
And yet, I think about God with Jesus, His ONLY Son, on one end, and you and me and everyone else on the other end.
As one who stands opposite of Jesus, knowing that the next decision will either mean life or death for me- my mind would be racing. I’m sure I would be thinking several things:
- Why would God pick us? His SON is on the other side. Who gives up their Son for children who aren’t His?
- It’s hopeless. I’m going to die.
However, God chose to give up His only Son to save the other “rooftop” of children– in our case, you, me, and the entire world.
He set the example for us to follow, not in sacrificing our only son on the cross to forgive the sins of the world, but to have mercy as He has had mercy on us.
I can’t help but notice so many brothers and sisters lack compassion for the millions of people standing on the “other roof” without any knowledge of a Savior. The only reason we are not standing alongside them is because God, in His great mercy, delivered us from our sins and gave us a life we absolutely do not deserve.
If you’re caught up with doing everything you can to keep you and your family in a small protective bubble, maybe it’s time to step out and view the world from the eyes of our Creator.
I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to hear from God when I meet Him is, “Well, Jacquelyn, you kept your family safe and comfortable, but you abandoned the thousands of people I sent for you to share My love with.”
Seeking and saving the lost comes with a cost. You need to decide if their souls are worth it to you, and at what price.
My heart aches when I see many brothers and sisters neglecting our ONLY calling — bringing the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth — because they are more concerned with whether or not their children are in the best school, with the nicest clothes, and safest neighborhood.
(And for the record, I have nothing wrong with any of those things, but I do when it or anything else takes precedence over the Gospel).
My heart aches for today’s “church”.
We are too comfortable while thousands of others are perishing.