DEAD FISH

(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)

I don’t feel like I can just “move on” from last weeks post. My thoughts, my feelings, my ideas, they all keep going back to “While We’re Sitting”. https://thefew.blog/2020/08/07/while-were-sitting/

After looking at some of those shocking numbers about how many young people are leaving Church, I think many of us were very unsettled. The question being, what can we even do about it? The whole thing just seems rather hopeless.

Truth is, there are a lot of different ideas about how we can fix “the Church”. Entire programs have been created to help solve problems in Church.

What I can reassure you with today is this… I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. I’m 100% sure that what I write about in this post is not going to be new to you. Most of us already know the solution. Discipleship. We just don’t want to do the work.

Allow me to explain why we often think the whole discipleship and “Jesus thing” thing seems to be hopeless.

One of the most irritating and frustrating things I see Christians doing today is they are always acting like they are on the defensive side. They live as if evil has triumphed, and we are trying to take back whatever it is that we’ve lost.

The definition of “being on the defensive” is this: If someone is on the defensive, they are trying to protect themselves or their interests because they feel unsure or threatened.

What would it look like if we were on offense though? Hold that thought…

1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to give an account to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”

Listen to me here, if you have been bought with the precious blood of Christ and been completely changed, then you are ALWAYS on the offensive. There is not a single moment of your life that you should act or live like you are threatened by evil.

We were made to fight from a place of victory and never defeat.

Church, you already have the victory. You just don’t realize it.

We’re too busy trying to argue out all of our hashtags like “save the children”, “black lives matter” and “flatten the curve” that we don’t realize Jesus already has all of those things figured out. Those things are just distractions from what Jesus actually wants us to be focusing on.

What would it look like if we were on offense though? Give me a minute here, we’re about to answer just that.

His tactic is you. He needs you to wake up and realize that you already have power over those things because He’s laid the victory right in your lap.  

I hate to burst your bubble, but a hashtag probably isn’t going to save the children. But Jesus’ victory will.

A protest and taking sides according to people’s skin color probably isn’t going to lead people to God. But Jesus’ victory will.

Sharing all of your profound and wonderful knowledge about the virus on your social media probably isn’t showing people the hope and gentleness that you’re supposed to have. But Jesus’ victory will.

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

He’s already overcome the world. So why do we think we need to or that it’s up to us?

My point in all of this is that you and I can’t fix “Church” or the world when we act like we are on the defensive side of this thing. Like we are always feeling threatened and trying to get something that we’ve lost back.

However, if we were to actually take this “Jesus thing” seriously for ourselves first, I truly believe Jesus will take care of the rest. We have a God who doesn’t need us at all, and yet He desires for us to be a part of it with Him.

The reason why young people are walking away from the faith is because all they see is a bunch of dead fish. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that anybody wants to be discipled by a dead fish.

I once heard a speaker ask, in regard to discipleship, “Do we really want two of you running around?” “Would it benefit the Kingdom to have two of you in it?” If you are not living out true Christianity and taking your faith seriously, then the answer is “no”. You are just polluting the water.

I challenge you, ask someone how you can pray for them and pray for their request while you’re with them this week. Forgive that person who you have been holding a grudge against for a while now. Be in prayer about who God may have for you to disciple. Then take them to lunch and just do some life together.

To be on offense means to take your own faith seriously. It starts with you. Remember, you can’t give to somebody else what you don’t have to begin with.

“But making disciples is far more than a program. It is the mission of our lives. It defines us. A disciple is a disciple maker.”  (Francis Chan)

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

= Do you feel like you’ve been distracted from what God wants you to do lately?

= Is discipleship an important thing in your own life?

= What are you going to do differently?