The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated, they will renew the ruined cities...
Isaiah 61:1, 3-4
God moves into the the lives of broken people. God meets, heals and transforms.
God calls us to move into the lives of the poor, believing that His power can transform them into "oaks of righteousness."
Now a drug addict or homeless person may not appear to be an "oak of righteousness" (or even a seedling of righteousness!). Perhaps that's why secularists who work among the poor have limited goals for the beneficiaries of their services. Secularists are happy if their programs help a homeless man to get sober, get a job, secure an apartment, and become a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. (which is a good thing, of course) Christians, through their ministries, want the same homeless man to do all that and to become a servant of others--perhaps walking the streets and ministering among the homeless as one who has been there and, by God's grace, made it out. In our labors among the broken and destitute, we envision people whom God can transform into leaders who advance His Kingdom in marvelous ways.
(from "Sharing God's Heart for the Poor" by Amy L. Sherman)
Continue serving this New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment