A catalyst is a person or thing that precipitates an event. We are called to be agents of change in our spheres of influence. When you read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, you learn about many people who worked out their faith and brought about great change.
It is not foreign for God to take our mustard seed of faith to cause great change. However, as believers, we have become too comfortable in our church programs and have fallen asleep to the purpose God has called us. We pray for revival but don’t do the work to have revival in our community.
Before we can revive, we must be awakened to the identity and purpose God called us. In Romans, there’s a verse that says creation waits in eagerness for the children of God to be revealed (8:19). It is time for us to rise up and step into who we are as children of God.
Our community is filled with brokenness, addictions, family dysfunction, etc. We can be the catalyst that changes our community for the better. We have to do the work in order to see the change happen.
When we partner with God and bring forth change, it always bears fruit however, it doesn’t come without risk. Scripture encourages us to, “not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
When we fix our eyes on the main thing it helps us gain the confidence to be bold in who we are in Christ and to make a difference. Do not lose heart if you face trouble when you step out in boldness. Keep going! Keep being who God calls you to be! It may get hard at times but what’s on the other side is worth what you went through to get there.
Jesus was, and is, a catalyst for change but while He was on earth He went through persecution. The persecution didn’t stop him from walking in His divine purpose.
Now, Jesus is reunited with his Father in heaven in all of the glory. Jesus created a path for us to get to the Father. Jesus is a catalyst. As believers who are encouraged to follow in Jesus’ example, we should have the same mindset. We should be willing to count the cost for the sake of our communities being changed for the better and going through the hard times for the sake of our neighbor knowing Christ. We should count everything as rubbish in comparison to the glory that will be revealed to us.
Tyler Jones is Student Ministry Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at tyler@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.