FOR CHRISTIANS, THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES!

It is not unusual today, to hear folks talking about crumbling morals, disintegrating families, and deep ideological division. America has been involved in one war or another for years! Children born in 2002 are in their 16th year of life having never known an America at peace! It doesn’t take much of the evening news to send one spiraling into a deep depression!

However, for the Christian, the child of God whose citizenship and hope lies not in this world but in the next (Philippians 3:20-21), these are exciting times!

When a nation of plenty is suddenly plunged into the depths of despair and division the opportunities for the church to “…preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15-16) abound!

When people come to realize the temporary nature of everything on this earth, a search for meaning, purpose and something that lasts will ensue (John 4:13-14; Ecclesiastes 12:13)!

When the message of God’s word is watered down, twisted and turned to the point that it is meaningless to the masses, the search and hunger for truth intensifies for many (Matthew 5:6).

When the teachers and practitioners of truth are scattered by persecution, opportunities abound to “Go everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4-5). Times such as the ones in which we now live create great open doors for the Lord’s church to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

Now that the fleeting nature of unity and peace is made evident many are looking for answers to the great questions of life. In other words, many have been forced by the loss of security to rethink and change their priorities.

These changes in our culture cause us to meditate on more important things more frequently. It brings to our minds the fact that the world and all that are in it are temporary (See 2 Peter 3:10-12).

We begin to see how tragic it is to lose one’s own soul! “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul” (Matt 16:26)? We realize how foolish it is to attempt to enter Heaven improperly clothed (Matt 22:11-14)! We begin to see the folly of squandering opportunities to share Jesus with others (Galatians 6:10).

When put into perspective, it is not difficult to see blessings even in times of division and strife. Rather than being “difficult times,” for those of us in the Lord’s church, these are exciting opportunities to rethink our priorities and to rush through the open doors the Lord has created for us to do His work (Colossians 4:3)!