You know all the scandals and controversies in life days? Seems like everyday there's something Congress can't come to a resolution on and it'll be the end of the world if they don't: Fiscal Cliff, Taxmageddon, Debt Ceiling, and so on. Among celebrities, who's dating who, who broke up with who, and who cheated on who. In sports, there are illegal bounties and fake girlfriends. Recently the news was going crazy about Beyonce lip-syncing the national anthem at the President's inauguration. And seems like half my twitter and Facebook feeds are filled each day with enough drama to last a lifetime.
Sometimes I feel tired of it all.
But if there's one thing I've learned it's never to live by feelings because feeling often life. So I don't have to just feel tired of it all. I don't have to just suck it up and live with it. Actually, I can do something about it. I can be a reconciler. I may not be able to bring reconciliation to Congress or Hollywood, but I can do my best to bring reconciliation in my circle of influence. Matter of fact, God tells me to do so in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT:
"God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation."
According to Scripture, my number one, primary, most important job in life is to be a bridge builder - first between God and people, but a just as important second is to build a bridge between people. To step in division and bring reunion. To go where there is hostility and bring harmony. To get in the middle of fights and work to bring unity.
To look at scandals and instead of getting tired, get energized and see scandals as opportunities to be the presence and the power of God in the middle of it. When someone is being picked on, criticized, or condemned, to bring grace and love and forgiveness.
Showing dignity, value, and love to people while speaking truth to them, no matter what? That's something I don't think I'll get tired of.
Be a reconciler. Be a peacemaker. Be a bridge builder. Yeah, I can do that. Will you join me?
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The right to life.
Twenty-two days ago, on December 14th, 2012, a horrible event took place. Twenty-six people were slaughtered in an elementary school in Connecticut - twenty of those people were children. This tragedy was covered seemingly non-stop by the media for days, benefit concerts were put on, and many people have donated money, toys, and other things to help the victims of those senseless killings.
On the same day that 20 children were murdered in an elementary school, another slaughter took place and nobody said a word. Over 2,000 children were murdered in America, and most Americans didn't know and didn't care because it wasn't called murder; it was called "abortion". And that number is a conservative estimate from the CDC. The research arm of Planned Parenthood, the Guttmacher Institute, puts that number at over 3,000 per day.
Get that - 3,000 innocent American children are aborted every day. Since abortion was legalized forty years ago today, over 55 million Americans have been murdered in the womb. Americans who would have surely grown up to discover amazing medical breakthroughs, become government leaders who would have given wise leadership to our nation, and contributes billions of dollars in taxes to the economy.
I can only imagine how different, and better, this great nation would be if those children were alive today. How much stronger the economy would be. How many diseases would have been cured. And what a more noble people we would be for not allowing thousands of our own citizens to be killed every single day, out of sight and out of mind.
Whatever your viewpoint on abortion, whether you consider it a fetus or a baby in the womb, an undeniable fact is that abortion stops a beating heart. And a heart cannot beat without life in it.
Our nation was founded on the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's pray that our nation will turn from this great injustice; that we will respect the rights of unborn children instead of being intolerant of their right to life.
"You are the one who created my innermost parts; You knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well."
- Psalm 139:13-14 CEB
On the same day that 20 children were murdered in an elementary school, another slaughter took place and nobody said a word. Over 2,000 children were murdered in America, and most Americans didn't know and didn't care because it wasn't called murder; it was called "abortion". And that number is a conservative estimate from the CDC. The research arm of Planned Parenthood, the Guttmacher Institute, puts that number at over 3,000 per day.
Get that - 3,000 innocent American children are aborted every day. Since abortion was legalized forty years ago today, over 55 million Americans have been murdered in the womb. Americans who would have surely grown up to discover amazing medical breakthroughs, become government leaders who would have given wise leadership to our nation, and contributes billions of dollars in taxes to the economy.
I can only imagine how different, and better, this great nation would be if those children were alive today. How much stronger the economy would be. How many diseases would have been cured. And what a more noble people we would be for not allowing thousands of our own citizens to be killed every single day, out of sight and out of mind.
Whatever your viewpoint on abortion, whether you consider it a fetus or a baby in the womb, an undeniable fact is that abortion stops a beating heart. And a heart cannot beat without life in it.
Our nation was founded on the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's pray that our nation will turn from this great injustice; that we will respect the rights of unborn children instead of being intolerant of their right to life.
"You are the one who created my innermost parts; You knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well."
- Psalm 139:13-14 CEB
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