What we can do.

A certain highlight of my week comes on Tuesday mornings. I lead a Bible study of the cutest little 13 year old girls from my neighborhood and they are just….the best.
I like to think that over those cups of cocoa and platters of muffins I am teaching them how to be good runners: runners to the Lord, runners away from sin, runners to the lost, bound, and bruised. But really, it’s not me, of course, if they are taking anything away from it. It’s Jesus. But I am doing what I can do.
They are “good” girls, raised in Christian homes, but I don’t ever want them to think that that’s enough. Their faith isn’t worth much until they are doing much with their faith.

When I was in high school I did more than a little bit of speech and drama, so last week when the drama coach asked me to come in and critique/coach some students I jumped at the opportunity.

Oh man. Talk about memories flooding back! Being in the same coaching room, being in the same theatre, walking the same hallways—all places I have not been since I was in high school.

And speaking of high school, have I ever told you that all of this long hair is a new addition?

London, junior year of high school.

Anyway, it was the most surreal feeling being back in the drama department. I almost didn’t know what to do with myself.

And as I sat there, critiquing and coaching these kids—kids I don’t know and who don’t know me—I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by this crazy kind of love to know these kids, to invest into their lives, to tell them that there is more beyond that crappy home life I see creeping into their acting, stripping them of their dignity, confidence, positive outlook, and replacing it with fear, bitterness, and apathy.

That’s just the way of the devil isn’t it? To capitalize upon someone’s misfortunes and weaknesses (Romans 7:7-8). He does what he can.

“You’ve got a crappy home life?” the devil asks. “Great, now I am going to make you think all those things your parents say about you is true.”

“You struggle with depression? Excellent. Now I am going to make you depressed that you are depressed.”

“Your desire is to covet? Have you seen the car the neighbors just bought?”

“Greed? Oh don’t worry…the greed will go away when you make another few thousands of dollars.”

I came away wanting to cry, or punch the devil, or run back into the department and yell “It doesn’t have to be like this! I promise!! There is an answer to all of this!!”

God must have heard my heart: Something has come up that I think will get me into their lives. I hope so. Either way, I am praying for them; it's something I can do.

My heart just goes out to miserable people who don’t know the Lord, you know?

I have been studying the Law a lot lately, both at church, home, small group. It seems to be coming up everywhere.

I am so convicted of how all of us are such terrible law breakers, full of no good thing, deserving of every nasty thing that could/has/does happen to us.

Mercy is a miracle, you know that? And like most miracles, it doesn’t make a bit of sense.

Jesus, the God of this universe, came to become the curse that was on us, the curse that is on those kids, the curse that is on your co-workers, family members, whoever. He took that law, all of those things we cannot fulfill, and he said, “All of the perfection you do not possess but that I do, is yours. And all of that corruption that is your only possession that I have no portion of, I will take as mine. Where you are powerless to save, I have come to deliver. All that the law made you powerless to do, I will do.”

 It’s the old story, I know. It’s the gospel. Jesus did what needed to be done. But the older I get, the more I see my need for it. The more I see of the world, the more I see the world’s need for it. And the more I see the world’s need for it I am like, “I don’t care what it takes: take the world, give me Jesus, and let me give him to others. This world is just not doing it for me anymore.”

 A best friend of mine wrote an article the other day and made an excellent point warning against confusing contentment with apathy.

Have we fallen there, Wolfies? Are we confusing apathy towards the world with contentment towards the gospel? Erasing the call to share the gospel by only telling ourselves that God’s got it covered? Not doing what we can do?!!?

I sigh. There is so much to do. The gospel is not ours to keep. Most of the world needs to hear it, and even some of those who have heard it now need to be taught what to do with it.

Can we do it all? No.

But Jesus already has.
Can we save all? No.
But Jesus already died for all.
Can we do what we can do? Oh kids, my prayer is that we WOULD do what we can do. My prayer is that we would be runners. Runners TO God, away from sin, towards the broken.