Have We Become Numb?

It's so easy to look at our world right now and ask, "what is going on?!" (insert high pitched voice here)

We scroll through Twitter and are bombarded with school shootings, racism, hate crimes, out of control celebrities, insane news reports and I could just keep going on...and on....and on....our world is a dark place.

Just this morning there was a tragic, senseless shooting at a Glendale high school where two 15 year old girls lost their lives. As I was praying for their families and friends involved and for the culture of our community, I heard God say the word "NUMB."

It stopped me in my tracks because I thought...wow, have these occurrences become the norm? And if that is true are they so normal that we have become numb to them? Meaning, we scroll through Twitter we see the news report, we re-tweet it with a #PrayersUp and then we are onto the next re-tweet of the sale at Hollister? Like retweeting the news report was our daily good deed?

Because if thats it, we have failed. Miserably.

So my question to you is, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

The famous last words of Jesus before He went back to Heaven....
"Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 MSG

This wasn't a casual suggestion. Jesus was telling His disciples (US!) to go out and change the world starting with the person right next to you and then another person around you and then your group of friends and then their group of friends and then that group of friends.....
We may not be able to reach everyone but we CAN REACH at least ONE.

Friends, what if when we read these words of Jesus we took them as: I am personally responsible for making sure every person I encounter knows Jesus and is going to Heaven.

Why? Whats the point? Because Jesus said we are the light of this world.
WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, not a burned out bulb and not a dimmed bulb but THE BRIGHTEST bulb that illuminates an entire room!

When everything around us looks dark, we are the ones who rise up and bring light.
We are the ones loving when others are shunning.
We are the ones with joy when others are down.
We are the ones sharing Gods Words when others are sharing gossip.
We are the ones including everyone, when others are excluding.
We are the ones bringing the love of Jesus into every situation and to every person we know.

The world isn't getting better any time soon, but we can. We can stand up and bring the good news to people that they are loved by the one and only God who created them. That they have a Savior, Jesus, who died on a cross for them conquering sin and death and then rose again just as He said He would to go back to Heaven and prepare a place just for them! We can share with them the good news that they are loved and accepted just as they are and they don't have to "clean up" or "get right" before they come to Jesus. We can make a difference in the lives of others! 

So next time you are scrolling through Twitter, go ahead and retweet with #PrayersUp but then I challenge you look around and see who needs what you have. See who needs love, who needs acceptance, who needs JESUS and then GO.

Why not begin today?