You live in it.

So, you really can’t hide from it, not even if you try.

You might have your safe little life, your safe little church and even your safe friends.

The thing is though, no matter how safe you try to make your life, you still live in this world so you will never truly be completely safe.

That’s why we long for Heaven.

A place where everything is perfect and safe. No pain, struggles, sickness, death or confusion will be there.

Just complete perfection.

Doesn’t that just make your heart all jittery with excitement? 🙂

I grew up amish and I saw holes in the church, I felt like I couldn’t trust anything they say because if they got some of it wrong, who says they were getting anything right?

We joined a mennonite church, I saw holes in the church and wondered if I could trust anything they say because if they got some of it wrong, who says they got anything right?

We did a DTS and I met people who took a relationship with God to a whole new level, surely I could trust these people to get it right because it seemed they did, but the longer I was there the more I realized:

These people didn’t have it all figured out either!!

I felt disappointed. Extremely disappointed.

All I wanted was someone who I could trust. Someone who would have all the answers and I wouldn’t have to question everything they were teaching.

I felt let down because if I couldn’t find this in YWAM, then where could I find it??

God, who can I trust?!

He said, “Everybody’s on a journey, everyone is still learning, no one is perfect, no one has it all figured out and no one ever will have this side of Heaven.”

The longing in your heart to know more about me is actually more then it seems, it is a longing for Heaven and it is a longing for that perfect connection with me that can only be completely fulfilled in your heavenly home.

Oh. That made sense. I still felt a bit let down but realized: For the rest of my life it was my duty to take everything I hear being taught and question it.

Is it legit?

Does the Bible back it?

Is this really what God says?

Living Safe Is Selfish.

Through different things I read, or comments people have made, I’ve come to realize that we try to live safely.

One comment that is used a lot is:

I don’t want my children exposed to that.

Trust me, I don’t want my kids exposed to everything this world has to offer either, but they live in this world so we might not have a choice!

Rather then trying to shield our children from everything, shouldn’t we rather teach them how to handle these things?

Yes, I know, as their parents it is our job to protect our children and shield them from things that their little minds can’t yet comprehend.

I have a question though.

If God calls you to live in and/or minister in the red light district…

Will you tell God: I can’t got because I don’t want my children exposed to that.

Or will you trust him to protect your child no matter what evil they meet in this world?

Would you go?

Will you do what he is calling you to, or are trying not to expose your child (or even yourself) to certain things?

I read about someone who sat in a doctors office and observed the crowd around her, from the person who was heavily tattooed with many piercings to the person who looked like they had given up on life. She ended her story saying how glad she was when she was finished there and could go home where all was safe and normal.

I read this in christian magazine, and I was disappointed.

I was disappointed that we who originate from the anabaptist culture think its ok to hide in our safe little communities and stay far away from those who obviously need Jesus.

When we open our Bibles we read about people who were sold out for Jesus, they were not safe, they were almost recklessly passionate about spreading the gospel.

Many gave their lives for the sake of spreading the good news.

Meanwhile, we are just over here trying not to socialize with people who might put our safe little lives in jeopardy.

We tend to avoid churches where tattoos and odd piercings are accepted.

Why?

Anyone who finds Jesus needs the community of a church, so the the question is…

Is it wrong for me to attend the same church they do?

Or is it wrong if my church makes them feel out of place?

(By the way I’m not taking a stand one way or another here on if tattoos are wrong or not.)

By staying in our safe circles we aren’t only missing many opportunities to reach people who will never enter our safe circles, we are also missing the blessings we could be receiving.

Like hearing their testimonies.

The crazier a persons life was before they met Jesus, the crazier their testimony is bound to be, and as we all know, hearing someone else’s testimonies of God’s faithfulness is encouraging, it gives us fresh hope.

There is ways that God moves that we will never even no about if we stay in our safe circles because we are too safe to even need him in some ways that people of the world may need him.

So, step out of your comfort zone and dare to meet that person who looks ‘interesting,’ don’t judge them because the chances are pretty high that their story is as interesting as their ‘look.’

The chances are also pretty high that they have a God-story that tops any of yours.

Ask them about the butterfly tattoo on their shoulder, because there is probably a story behind that too, and quite possibly it is a reminder of something God has done for them.

Stop judging and see them as Jesus would see them.

Because who am I to decide that my background of seeing tattoos and piercings as wrong is more accurate then their background of seeing it as ok?

God will be the judge.

He commanded us to love our neighbors, and he didn’t say to love only the ones who live up to our expectations.

We need to love them all.

So, lets love them well.

Let’s ask him for the ability to see each individual person as he sees them.