Jon Taylor – Lead Pastor
When we think about the staggering needs in the world today – hunger, slavery, abuse, trafficking, and other problems – it can be easy to be overwhelmed and paralyzed into inactivity. Let’s face it, the numbers are overwhelming.
In Mark 6, a large crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus teach, and his disciples become overwhelmed with the numbers of people and the thought of trying to feed them. Jesus asked them, “What do you have?” They answered that they had been able to scrounge up a young boy’s lunch – 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. “But what is that among so many?” they asked Jesus. They saw the need, but they could not imagine any way they could meet the need with what they had.
That’s when Jesus says, “Bring it to me.” He wanted them to bring the little bit they had to Him, to let Him meet the need. He wanted them to surrender what little they did have so He could be glorified by what He was going to do. When we are overwhelmed with the great needs we see, or hear about, in our world today and think about what we can do in response, we can easily say like the disciples, “what is that among so many?”
I encourage you to respond when you see, or hear about a need or injustice. Respond with prayer. Respond by being generous with those who are working to alleviate the pain and suffering. Respond with advocacy. Respond by volunteering to be a part of the solution. There are plenty of opportunities locally and globally. Do like the early believers did in the book of Acts – be generous and work for justice!
Here are a few of my favorite ways to respond to the great needs in our world:
http://www.ijm.org/get-involved/pray
http://freedomcommons.ijm.org/
http://alongside-ministries.com/
What will you do with what you have? Will you surrender it to Jesus to let Him do something miraculous? Let me encourage you to respond today in some way to the needs and injustices in our world!
fccphx 