I have dealt with depression in my life. It is in depression that I feel like it is me against the world – or probably more accurately, I feel like the world is against me. It used to affect my ability to hold down a job or live a “normal” life. But now I realize that my depression stemmed from vanity and self, from separating myself from others and from God’s love and mercy and forgiveness – and it was aggravated further by my self medicating with the escapes of alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.
Depression is a twisting of the truth by that spiritual enemy. And during the dark wandering years of my twenties, depression led to all kinds of things, including attempted suicide, drugs, and criminal activity. But the Lord had work in store for me, and he is now using even the dark world that my youth took me into, and He is turning all of that to a good purpose.
You see, now I get to go each week and spend time with young men in jail and share the gospel with them and study together with them, and at times provide personal counselling. And even though my life is quite removed from their world at this season of my life, we have walked similar paths. Before, I was walking purely for self, now I am working for God’s purpose, for His Kingdom work to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, I’m looking for more workers, wherever they can be found – in the workplace, on the Internet, in the streets, in the churches, in the jail cells, in the hospitals, in the bars, restaurants, or wherever I go. And I just don’t have time to stay depressed anymore, there is too much work at hand.
These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
Luke 10:2 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.10.2.NLT
The fields are everywhere we walk, friends. And our job is not to burn down the fields trying to set fire to the weeds, it is to share the Love of Christ with others, so that we will find unity with other believers in truth, and so that we will walk together in repentance holding each other accountable to this goal of Christ’s righteousness lived out as a testimony of His touch upon our lives.
It isn’t so that I can LOOK humble or righteous to others in order to be recognized or honored – but so that they can see Christ in me and so that they can see His righteousness IS a part of me and that He deserves the honor and praise and glory. Because the bright shining appearance of “perfection” doesn’t draw sinners to the light, it can actually push others away when they feel that they are “not worthy” of coming into our fellowship. But the verbal testimony of our own imperfections, and how Christ has and is touching our lives – that coupled with the clear and evident testimony of our actions demonstrating a life changed and dedicated to working for the Lord – that is the full testimony of a humble and faithful servant that can do great c work for the Lord.
And it only takes two things –
1) acknowledging that you fall short of the glory of God and that you needed Jesus Christ as your Savior, as your example of the truth, the life, and the way, to bring you into humble fellowship with God’s will and purpose for your life today
2) dedicating yourself to the purpose of walking it out, following in His footsteps, sharing the truth, the life, and the way with others in a born again, renewed life serving as a faithful citizen of God’s Kingdom of workers/servants/witnesses
But let’s not stop there in case we might still fall into an us against the world mentality. Let’s pray the prayer of a righteous man, of a repentant person who is resisting evil, avoiding temptation, and not participating in sin. Let’s pray the prayer of a humble Child of God who needs His Father’s guidance and power and authority and assistance to see the day’s tasks accomplished. And let’s use this prayer to ask for more workers, more laborers in the Lord’s work today – because we aren’t meant to go at this life alone.
And the very workers we are praying for are the very citizens of the Kingdom that we need to realize to find unity. And they are the very souls that we need around us to experience the beauty of fellowship. So let’s ask the Lord to rain down laborers upon us within this earthly life, drawing more near with his soft, still call to the work at hand – and let’s realize that we are the ones sent to deliver His message and His loving touch.
I send you forth as sheep amongst the wolves, you workers of God, you Children of the one true God, you saints in the royal priesthood of our Lord – make disciples of the nations, baptize in His name, and bring honor and glory to His name by the love and service and example that your life offers as a living testimony today.
Live like Christ if you love my Christ.
If you do not yet Love my Christ, I pray you will find Him through conviction and surrender, because the workers are few and the harvest is great.
If you do not yet serve my Christ daily, I pray that you examine yourself and that you will find Him through conviction and surrender, because the workers are few and the harvest is great.
Your work is needed today, friends. There are lost. There are hurting. There are hungry. There are needy. There is oppression. There is injustice. Be the body of Christ that fills the need and that resists the enemy and that lives and serves your fellow man.
Don’t just LOOK like a Christian,
Don’t just SOUND like a Christian,
BE like Christ.
Harold J. Ballinger 