This has been a week of God connecting some dots for me. This time it’s on two things: concern for others and guarding territory. These seem like two unrelated topics but have somehow become inter-related for me recently.
A line of division–
In a training session last week, our staff discussed the principle of unity. The focus was on Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” The trainer in the video asked us to discuss the people we distance ourselves from. Some of the answers included…the homeless, weird people, mentally ill people, politically aggressive, young people, old people, unhoused etc. When we distance ourselves from anyone, we draw a line in the sand between us and them.
However uncomfortable we may feel, God tells us to be tenderhearted to one another. He loves all, even those who are far from Him. Ephesians 5:2 reminds us, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…”. Jesus loved me before I loved Him. He died for me when I was far from Him. How could I not do the same for others whom He loves?
I envision myself reaching down and using my hand to erase the line in the sand, removing any barriers between me and those who make me uncomfortable. I remind myself, ‘Love them, Sylvia! God will take care of the rest.’ “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone…” (Gal 6:10)
A line of territory–
Also, recently at our weekly All Church Prayer, someone prayed a beautiful prayer about ‘guarding territory’. The Bible is clear about good and evil. John 3:19 describes, “…the light (belief in Jesus) has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
Therefore, as disappointed as we might be in our world’s state of dishonesty, addiction, selfishness and evil, we are to hold fast to God’s promises. We, as Jesus-followers, are given, “authority to trample over snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy…” (Luke 10:19). We have been given authority, and the assignment, to push back darkness by praying, serving, not being a jerk, doing good and living righteously. We push back darkness every time we tell someone what Jesus has done in our lives, every time we declare what God says is true, every time we praise Him verbally, and every time we take a stand for Godliness and holiness in our lives.
THAT is a line we should draw in the sand and territory we guard!
As Christians, we are not to simply sit idly by, waiting for our time on Earth to shift to our time in Heaven. We have things the Lord has predestined for us to do (Eph 2:10). A couple of them are to:
- Erase the line that hinders us from loving others.
- Put on the armor of God (Eph 6:13-18), stand and defend the line between evil and Godliness.
What lines do you need to erase and what lines do you need to reinforce?
Sylvia Gaston is Connections Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at sylvia@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.