failing to eagerly wait

I'm not sure if it's because I'm mostly a pessimist, but I have really been dropping the ball on eagerly waiting for the redemption of both the world and the New Jerusalem and my own redemption.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:45-51 NIV)

Part of eagerly waiting for the appointed promise is to "give them their food at the proper time...". I take that to mean that we are to constantly be serving and encouraging fellow servants (other believers) as well as non-believers. We are to be in a constant mindset with the gospel on the tip of our tongue...always sharing it in word and deed.

After all, Paul writes that "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Romans 8:19. The specific 'creation' word in the Greek that Paul uses, ktisis, is taken to mean a "creature" of creation, as in Gentiles, non-believers.

Now that's interesting. Even non-believers are eagerly waiting for the redemption. Which I think makes perfect sense. Non-believers, whether they like it or not, admit it or not, I believe were originally created in the image of God to worship Him and reflect His glory. And when that doesn't happen, something is off and not right ("subjected to frustration"...Romans 8:20).

The point is, as believers in Christ, we have the vision and promise of Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem.

For living out my present faith, I would do good to more eagerly anticipate Christ's return and actually try to believe in His promise and listen to His words.

teach me to see like You Jesus...

there's a fairly well-played song on Christian radio these days that has the chorus:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah
Yeah
yeah
yeah

Now it's kind of a pop-ish song, but that's not the point. I've though a lot about this idea of really trying to "put on" Christ-like vision apart from this song. Do I read the Bible more? Do I pray more? Do I serve others more? Do I deny the comforts of this American lifestyle and life with poor or neglected people? I think the lyrics reinforce really well the idea of wanting to see like Jesus in the world we live in.

I simply don't see the world as Jesus does. But I really want to!

Seeing one way or another way, how you interpret the world, makes a big difference in the way your motivations and subsequent behavior takes shape. Just put on those 3-D glasses or the goggles that they use to show what a drunk person sees, and you get this idea very quickly.

To me though, it's deeper than just surface level vision. My mind so often thinks about what is "efficient" or "effective" or "optimal." This comes from a wordly perspective, and I realize, it often doesn't coincide with the way of the King and His vision for His Kingdom on earth.

Here's a perfect example:

I know a very faithful missionary family in Argentina. The father is very real, genuine, and is one of the most faithful servants I have ever met. They minister intentionally to a specific group of people in Buenos Aires, one of the most difficult people groups to share Christ with, in my opinion. I'm not going to write which people group that is, for reasons regarding their safety and confidentiality.

My point is, the family is great, and they are led by an incredibly faithful man. I know this. In my mind and my heart, I know this and believe this fully.

Yet, I sometimes question, in my mind, their ministry. I have such thoughts as "well, jeez, they get paid a normal year's salary through the contributions of so many churches" "...they have some "successes" to show for their work, but really not that many." "They are semi-accountable to their donors, but not wholly and fully transparent." "They could be doing anything really, living off the good graces and good intentions of others." (again, as I stated before, they are a really genuine and no funny business is going on). "Wouldn't their time and effort be best spent in other areas with other people groups, where more chances for "success" in sharing Christ could take place?"

So let me say, I hate these thoughts that I have. But I have them. I think I'm nifty and crafty that I can see inefficiencies and the way things can be improved...my mind often thinks about such things.

Never mind that I overlook their sacrifice of being in a foreign country, away from many comforts of friends and family, to intentionally share the Gospel with a group of people who are often so quick to reject their message.

In all reality, this just really reveals the depth of my selfishness, and what I'm talking about in this post...that I really don't see like Jesus sees the world.

Peter tells us the underlying sentiment of God's heart: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

Isn't it fitting that Peter is the one who writes this verse, even after his staunch promise to never deny Jesus, and then outright denying Him 3 times? Peter lived out fully this sentiment of God's heart.

Romans 3:23 speaks truth in reminding us that we're all broken. Sin is the culprit of our brokenness, and no matter who we are in the world, we can't escape this fact. "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (NASB)

Jesus has an amazing ability to see through our self-protections, piled up walls, defense mechanisms to deal with the world, to see the heart of our brokenness. He sees the problem crystal clearly AND the solution. I believe He desperately wants broken hearts to return to Him as soon as possible.

He is the perfect solution, and sees perfectly how events and His followers are going to work under His name to help heal those broken hearts and turn them back to Him, while delighting in the glory of this process.

I can't even give an answer of what Jesus' version of a solution really looks like, since I so frequently think of solving problems in worldly terms...and again, I don't see like Him.

But I think it's really great that He sees in a unique way, that's different from the worldly vision which I so frequently see things...and I want more of that eyesight. His eyesight.

Lord Jesus, please help me to see more like You...

the vision before the work

If you are to sit down and build a house, what needs to happen first?

Of course, building a foundation is an important early step, but even before that, don't you have to sit down and imagine, in detail, the finished product? What each room will look like, how each fixture contributes to each room that contributes to the overall architectural functionality and design of the house.

As we seek to be brothers and sisters who desire to share the gospel with those who have not tasted the quenching and fulfilling of salvation through Jesus, are we daring and actually taking time to imagine and dream what that is to look like? Do we allow our minds to wander what our schools, neighborhoods, families, and individual relationships will look like with Christ as the centerpiece of those structures?

If we aren't, I think we should be.

In Revelation, we have a recorded vision like that. We to I think should feel free and be convicted to regularly dream big dreams of the power of salvation in Christ before we actually set out to go about being His hands and feet and seeking to share the gospel with others.

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:6-14 NIV)