The Good Fight Matthew 26:39
Praying over the city in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
August 17, 2018
This is the view for today’s morning prayers. I was blessed to have a dear friend invite me to her lake home. There’s even a bike here for me. I didn’t take it out yet. The extent of my exercise this morning was coming down the stairs. LOL!
I’ve got a lot on my mind, and my heart, lately. It seems my passion for standing up for injustice is tearing at some relationships. Some have questioned my faith. Some tell me “fighting” is not what I should be doing.
Good gravy, I don’t want to be “fighting” either. I want to be at peace, I want to be at rest, and I want peace and rest for all people of the world. Do you think the men kneeling on the football field want peace? Do you think that Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King wanted peace? Do you think Abraham Lincoln would have preferred peace? Do you think that Jesus would have preferred peace than to be at odds with the Pharisees? He even prayed to The Father to “take this cup”, but also said, “Thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:39)
This is the other thing, there would be NO fight, none, if the opposing side in each of the instances above, saw the side of the other. The fight comes in because the “other side” does NOT want to change. Black men would not be kneeling on the football field if there was no racism. That is the deal. You can say they should do it somewhere else. You can say a whole bunch of things, BUT this is the deal, there would be NO need to protest, to cause UNREST, to divide PEACE, if the underlying problem was fixed.
At this, you might even be thinking, “There is NO racism.” And gosh, if you think that, get ready for a lot more UNREST.
I’ve considered this a lot. I’ve prayed about it quite a bit. In fact, this all started with a simple prayer, “Give me Your eyes and heart, Lord.” He’s shown me things, touched me in ways, that were just not part of my DNA before. Without one measure of doubt, I know I am to do whatever I can, in my area of influence, to assist those who are disenfranchised and marginalized–who need and deserve rest and peace as much as you do, and when I consider who I admire and want to be most it is Rosa Parks, MLK, Abraham Lincoln, and my savior Jesus Christ. They were NOT embraced. People told them to stop. They lost friends–they were hated, but good gravy, do I admire them.
By the way, Jesus predicted that when you stand with Him, others will stand against you. I find comfort in that message. If you’re interested, Matthew 10 shares a lot, but my favorite is part of my life chapter–yes, most have a life verse, this girl is so broken, I need a whole chapter–John 15 starting with the 18th verse. Darn good stuff…
If you are reading this and are mad at me, I ask you to pray and reveal why. If you post below, you will not change my conviction.
Dearest Heavenly Father, Your message was clear–LOVE EVERYONE. Care of our bothers, our sisters–protect the persecuted, but you also knew this is such a broken world. Evil will exist and sometimes it is so hard to see the difference. Please illuminate the path. Make it clear which way is Your way. We want to do Your will, and Lord, please humble our hearts so that You are the One illuminated in any work that we might do, and bring forth in each of us the Fruits of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)–so that any work we are called to do further shines Your Light. In Your Mighty and Holy Name…
I LOVE YOU ALL–even if we don’t agree–I MOST CERTAINLY LOVE YOU. I am praying for you. Please let me know if there is more I can do.