God's Vantage Point
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Isaiah 1:13-20
13. Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies -- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. 15. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17. learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18. "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Romans 12:1-2
1. I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
It is believed that Isaiah was recorded about 700 years before Christ. As soon as I read the verses in Isaiah, I immediately thought of Romans -- the subheading to chapter 12 in my bible is Living Sacrifices. To me, the fact that God allowed us to “get it so wrong” for so long is testament to his patience, his mercy, his love for us. That's because I view his patience from the point of view of a parent, with not so distant memories of completely “losing it” after the 200th time a child did something they knew they were not supposed to do! So God’s patience might seem like the focus of my devotion this morning.
Though God’s patience was and continues to be a marvel to me, the political activist in me reads these verses from another point of view. No, I’m not going to offer a commentary on our involvement in Iraq--though I could go on for several hours! Rather all the “social issues” of the world run through my mind this morning. HIV/AIDS in Africa -- and entire continent at genuine risk of extinction because of that epidemic -- I can’t help but think how the situation would be different if the money our nation spent on the war in Iraq had been diverted toward that crisis. I don’t mean that as a political statement, though I’m sure it’s obvious where I stand on both issues.
One of my “pet peeves” and a source of constant frustration for me is the lack of “big picture” planning. I guess it’s human nature to charge right in to a situation and try to “fix it.” We don’t take the time to see if there’s a different way to solve a problem, a way that might take a little longer, but will not negatively impact another situation by making a decision. It happens in business all the time -- not just in government and politics. And it happens in our daily lives as well. But God wants us to take a step back and view our lives and our world from His vantage point.
He wants us to be part of the solution, and stop contributing to the problem. He wants our hearts and our minds and yes, our bodies. He wants us to get in there and get our hands dirty. He wants us to be like Christ -- an activist. We are to be the voice of the oppressed of this world. We are to do more than vote -- we are to vote responsibly -- and campaign for candidates we believe in -- and write letters to our leaders voicing our support or objection to their actions. We are to go to world and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Feed the hungry, love the unlovable, house the homeless. And work to alleviate the conditions that placed those brothers and sisters in that situation.
Kind of on a bandwagon this morning, I know! But God sent Christ to show us how “it’s” supposed to be done. We are to offer ourselves as a perfect act of worship. That’s what God wants -- us -- you and me -- engaged, involved and active in the world He created for us. It’s our responsibility to care for it and all of it’s inhabitants.
I hope today you take some time to step back and look at your life from God’s vantage point. And make a decision to make one small change that can impact your little piece of the world.
Mary
