an appeal for less of me

i hear in the news all of the calamity
i turn my eyes, so i don't have to see.
i don't like to admit all the pain around-
the world, my country-and even my town.
but if i close my eyes to the pain that is there,
and the only thing i give is a 5 second prayer-
and i have the Hope they so desperately need
and i lock it inside and throw away the key-
then what good is the Treasure i posses?
if i keep it all neat and don't enter the mess-
the mess of the homeless, the orphan, the widow.
the mess of the broken. oh, Jesus, Your steps to follow.
what if we've got being a Christian all wrong?
what if it's not just a book or a song?
what if it's living and eating and breathing
the words of Christ-and not just in a meeting.
our meetings where all of the things that we say
are nice and comfortable and seem to have sway-
but words are just words if they're not put into action.
they have no meaning-they are just a caption.
a caption of what we as Christians should do
under a "perfect picture" of how we're made new.
we say we're made new by the renewing of our minds-
but we live each day like we're completely blind.
our masquerades can only last for so long-
and i don't know about you-but that's wrong.
now, i'm not saying i have it all together.
no-i don't. i change like the weather.
but in my heart of hearts there's a deep longing
to not stand on the sidelines of pain and suffering.
there are Christians who die willingly for their faith
and here we are, always praying to be safe.
safe from accidents and sickness and peril.
protection as we walk the straight and narrow.
but what if our prayers turned from "safe" to "His glory"?
i wonder, then, what would be our story?
would we risk the unknown and take a leap in the dark?
because then we'd really have to trust Him with our whole heart?
we are called to live by faith and not sight.
so praying "whatever brings Him glory" just might-
might take us out of our comfortable lives
and take us across uncomfortable lines.
we might get our hands dirty and get in the thick
of poverty, hunger, the poor and the sick.
we might see children being sold as slaves,
trafficked in the night, their hearts ablaze-
ablaze with fear, trapped in lonely lives,
used over and over for a ticket price.
if we say amongst ourselves those things are wrong-
then what are we doing as we walk along?
do we see the need and just pass by-
having the means to help, but not batting an eye?
should people have a price tag? a family, no home?
should the orphan and widow always be alone?
what would it look like for you and for me
to look outside of ourselves and see
that life is not about how much money we make,
the car that we drive, or the size of our steak.
it's not about our status at work,
the clothes that we wear or if our house is in the 'burbs.
it's not about these "high-end" toys
that appeal to the eye and add to the noise-
the noise of what the world says is good
and that if you don't have it, you should.
but-what good is the stuff of this world
if you lose your soul and the midst of it all?

i appeal to myself and to those far and near-
that we come in close with a listening ear.
that we would take some time to stop and think
about what's really important with eternity on the brink.
maybe it means to re-prioritize
how we spend our time and money-or if we've been sucked in by lies.

i appeal to myself and to those far and near-
that we come in close with a listening ear.
what does it look like to do our part?
what is one step we can take to start?
to start living our lives intentionally,
to look beyond ourselves and really see
where God's heart is beating-how He's asking us to move.
what it looks like to join Him in living His love.

i appeal to myself and to those far and near-
that we come in close with a listening ear.
will we throw off the weight that so easily binds,
that holds us as slaves and clutters our minds?
will we let Christ come in and readily show
what it looks like to really live-and to let go?
let go of the "American Dream"
of safety and comfort and always being seen?
will we let Him replace the desire for more
of the world's recognition, accolades and keeping score-
with the heart of a servant, to live in the background,
boasting in nothing, but only, in Him, being found?

i appeal to myself and to those far and near-
that we come in close with a listening ear.
our thoughts, words and actions will reveal
to the world if Christ is real.
we do this in how we live our lives,
the choices we make, what we prize.
the reason we're here is to make Christ known,
to love this world-that His love is shown.
we are here to bear His Name,
to bring HIM all glory and fame.