mission: neglect not one opportunity.

In the current state of the world we live in, we don’t have to look very far to see ruin all around us. That we can probably all agree on. But if we take a look from 30,000 feet above…we can start to understand the expanse of which we are individually part of the whole. We can see how everything is interconnected. We can see that we have a part in it all.

Recently, our women’s group had been studying Galatians. Paul’s instructive, clear, letter to Christians in Galatia where we can start to consider our part in the whole. We have a place to start so that we can secure where we end.

All of Galatians is wonderful…so much richness and truth and practical wisdom. But today it is Chapter 6 that speaks loudest to me. The Apostle Paul encourages Christians to carry one another’s burdens, and explains why this has eternal implications. So that even while ruin is around us, and we grieve the darkness present in our world, still we have one responsibility to fulfill the law of Christ: to love others. It always comes back to this doesn’t it?

Right out of the gate, Paul advises us to deal tenderly with those who have been overtaken by fault, meaning those who were brought to sin by the surprise of temptation. We have a duty to make them straight again. This is not referring to people who are choosing to be in unrepentant sin, but our Christian friends, family and neighbors who slip off track often without realizing it. We are to lovingly pull their coat sleeves and bring them back into line. This is one of the great privileges, or responsibilities, of ministry- and we are all ministers.

Carrying another’s burdens, or weight, when the weight exceeds their strength, give us a duty to gently love then back into alignment.

But later in Galatians chapter 6, Paul goes on to illustrate why this duty of ours is so important and should never be neglected. In fact, God does not accept excuses and we should always be slow to seek excuses in neglecting any part of living out our faith. (a good time to reference another post about neglect: https://michellehatter.wixsite.com/givengrace/post/stepping-up-to-the-plate)

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. v7.

So the letter goes on to talk about harvest; reaping and sowing. I love this topic- harvest! We are all part of a great sifting, a great harvest, and I think COVID has made that pretty clear. But that’s another blog post. So, here, Paul reminds Christians that if we sow to our flesh, or feed our bodily selfish desires, caught up in the woes of the world, we will become corrupted and destructed. But, when we sow from the Spirit- abiding in Jesus- we will sow eternal life. Basically, it is foolish to expect to enjoy spiritual benefits if we neglect spiritual duty.

Right now we sow; in eternity we reap. And if we are looking from a 30,000 foot view we can see the urgency of it all. We NEED to be on mission, all the time. Lovingly pulling brothers and sisters back into line. Loving others in spite of themselves. Maintaining our focus on the main thing- the gospel. No excuses, no time to waste. Paul continues with the encouragement that as we all have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all. We have opportunities all around us… the ruin we see are opportunities to love others well and display the hope we have.