Don't be lazy - Be strong in the Lord!

A few weeks ago, I preached a message about Returning to Love from Indifference.  I haven't been able to let this message go because I see so much indifference - so much apathy in the people who call themselves Christian and that includes me.  This is a hard blog for me to write because it isn't the blog of positivity.

This past spring break, Wally, Elliott and I had the opportunity to serve at Loma De Luz in Honduras together.  Max decided he wanted to stay at Nana's house for the week and so he did! We missed him. God always challenges my comfortable Christianity when I am serving at Loma de Luz. While at Loma de Luz, there is no air conditioner, no hot water, no Wal-mart, no Lowes, no Kroger and believe it or not - there is no Chick-fil-a. And, there are no lazy days! Everyone is up at the crack of dawn.

Christianity has become quite comfortable for most of us. Coffee shops in church lobbies. Shuttles to the sanctuary from the parking lot on rainy days. Games to entertain our children and youth. Many parents don't want the responsibility of teaching their children about faith. It's the church's job.

The Breakfast Club '16

At Loma De Luz, we made our coffee every morning with our new breakfast club friends. Who really needs a Panera and Starbucks? We witnessed people walking miles and miles to receive medical care. We witnessed people walking miles to church. We witnessed communities sitting around tables talking and laughing without the use of a cell phone. We witnessed sacrifice and generosity day after day and hour after hour.  It was a wake-up call for me once again.

Each time I venture on a mission trip, I usually read one of Paul's letters to the churches. This time I read Ephesians and I especially reflected on Ephesians 6:10-20 - Be strong in the Lord...your struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers and powers of this dark world.  As I read Ephesians 6:10-20, I was reminded  that we can't ever allow the luxurious settings of our culture to dull our alertness to the powers of this dark world. We must refuse to allow comfort and ease to make us apathetic, indifferent, uninterested and in some cases unaware of injustice and the spiritual battle that is raging all around us.  The lazy days of Christian culture must come to an end.  And, this starts today and it starts with you and me. 

Our enemy celebrates our laziness to Christlike living.  Before we know it, we no longer care about racial reconciliation, we no longer welcome the refugee, we no longer fight for passion in our marriages, we no longer believe our children can be restored and redeemed, we no longer believe that there is a path to freedom from our addictions and we no longer believe in the power of prayer.  

Maybe you kind of don't care anymore. You aren't even sure you want to care.  I believe that through prayer  - you can begin the journey to getting your "want to" back.  At the end of this passage, Paul says to pray in the spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests.  My challenge to all of us is to pray for God to open our eyes and help us understand where we have become comfortable in our following Jesus.

The call to Christlike living is a wake-up call out of laziness - urging us to rise up and be strong in the Lord.  We have gotten comfortable in our consumerism - comfortable in our unhealthy patterns of eating - comfortable in our unhealthy patterns of addictions - comfortable in our sin.  We must be putting on the armor of God so that we can take our stand against the enemy who wants nothing more than to take our eyes off of Jesus and to keep our eyes on ourselves.

Ask God now to help you see where you have become comfortable in following Christ...

Ask God now to help you see where you need to execute justice in the world...

Ask God now to help you understand what you need to sacrifice to expand his Kingdom...

Ask God now to help you simplify so that you don't continue to consume things you don't need...

Ask God now to help you put on the armor of God so you can be strong in God's grace...

And, don't be lazy! Pray daily. Pray Consistently, Pray Faithfully for God to help you not become indifferent and apathetic!