Da Word... 236! Time to Rise!

Ever feel that tug in your heart when you witness someone being done wrong?  It's like you want to standup and defend the cause of the victim, possibly even knock some serious sense into the perpetuator.  What about when you see a young child who hasn't much, if anything, to eat?  There's a tug no?  But how many times do we act on that tug....

...learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

- Isaiah 1:17

BOOM!  There it is!  Direct from the Word itself!  Actions rather than thoughts seem to be encouraged. And you know what's more?  The actions encouraged here aren't in the realm of "comfortable".  Nope!  I mean come on, seek justice!?  You know that's just asking for a fight.  Encourage the oppressed?  That actually means interacting with people who have been or are going through some potentially serious stuff!  And all the baggage comes along for the ride!  Ugh! Defending and pleading?!?  Whoa...

Yeah people!  It's work!  And it means stepping out of our nice comfy spaces into territory which we may not be very comfortable roaming about.  What makes it harder, especially in this day an age, is this culture of, "well, it's not really my problem, I should mind my own business."  But how about the flip side?  What if stepping in meant the saving of a life?  And by not stepping in, very serious consequences emerged?  Neither the world nor the status quo can be challenged and altered if we simply chill.  We cannot transform thoughts and conventional wisdom by remaining idle!

Tolerance is okay.  But like many things, it's only okay in moderation.  Too much tolerance breeds corruption.  In fact, it gives people the rope necessary to engage in activity we know is against everything in us that screams right.  It's time to rise, and no longer sit on the sidelines.  We need to act.  Instead of simply acknowledging that tug, we need to step up and do something about it.  You know what's great about doing something in these areas?  Areas of justice, the oppressed, orphans, and widows?  You do something that no one can take away from you, and a life is touched beyond what you may ever know.

So, what are you going to do the next time there's a tug at your heart?

G-bless,

  - patrick