Anyone looking at the news recently will see the violence and death plastered across the headlines- from across the world and closer to home… the list goes on and on. I can’t look long, because the things I see sadden me. They remind me of how much sin has corrupted this world. How the devil is the ruler of this dark world.
But they also remind me to pray: for the victims and their families, for the attackers and their families, for God to work in the world and bring people to himself, for Christians in how they respond to these tragedies… and for hope and peace.
Sin has so divided us, has made us forget that we are all created in the image of our Maker, and are all one race- Adam’s. It has made us forget that each and every person is of invaluable worth, intricately crafted by the Creator of heaven and earth. It has caused us to value our personal choice over the value of a persons life, so much so that we see lives taken each and every day. Looking at the world, there seems to be no hope.
But Christ is our hope in this world.
Christ is a light in this darkness.
Christ is peace in a world filled with the sword.
Christ is life in a world filled with death.
As Christians we need to realize that the enemy is not a person of flesh and blood, but the demons and powers of this present darkness. Our enemy is Satan and his demons! We can’t fight this on our own, we need the power of God to work through us, to work in the world to defeat sin. We are Christ’s lamps, meant to be set on a hill, brightly shining his love to the lost and broken people around us (Matthew 5:14). We are meant to turn from evil and do good; we are meant to seek peace and to pursue it (1 Peter 3:11).
How do we do this?
Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, because the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20). Pray. Ask questions. Listen. Show love to the hurting. Speak up for the downtrodden and oppressed.
We need to pray for revival, reconciliation, peace- and then go out and live it! We can’t just sit back and do nothing. We can’t hide behind the guise of prayer, thinking that’s enough. We aren’t going to be able to change everyone, but we can work to change ourselves and bring hope to those around us.
