God's canvas is bigger than we can possibly imagine.
Our Pastor (Damian Bassett) was giving his sermon on the story of Joseph today, and I couldn't stop thinking about this point that he hasn't touched on yet. I'm sure he will, but it was on my mind, so here goes.
There are so many lessons from the story of Joseph, but I think the biggest lesson I take from it is that no matter how bad a situation might seem to us, God is somehow using it to teach others and affect change on people around us. This in turn helps us to recognize our own place in the big picture that is being constantly painted about us and for us. We are all colours in the pallette that God uses to tell us who we are through his eternal artwork. In the same vein, the word of God is full of human trials and tribulations that we can all identify with that lead to a fuller understanding of our place in God's kingdom.
I've always taken issue with "empty" people during my life. Even when my faith wasn't very strong I never understood others who didn't believe in something other than this mortal existence. The older I get, and the further I grow in spiritual maturity, however, I see that atheism and agnosticism aren't things to be too upset about. The more I understand how God works, the less I worry about non-believers, and even the Enemy for that matter. Certainly I don't down-play the need for diligence against sin and prayer for those who don't know God. The point is that those folks are where they are for a reason, and God is using them in a way that we can't fully understand. Perhaps it is to test our zeal for evangelism, or to challenge our humilty in the face of adversity. It definitely isn't for us to "defend" God, in my opinion. The Lord Our God is so absolutely powerful and awesome in every way that the last thing He would need us to do is protect Him from being disparaged by those who don't even believe He exists.
Joseph's brothers treated him just like some of us do with each other in regards to faith. The City of Men listen to the City of God (as St. Augustine would say) and think we're nuts. All they want to do is get rid of us, just like the brothers did to Joseph. Our prayers and prophecies seem ridiculous to those who make this mortal existence the only thing of importance. Our role as faithful Christians seems to be similar to that of Joseph during his challenges and struggles. History has shown that no matter how self-sufficient the City of Men becomes, it inevitably tends to call upon the City of God to help it out when it gets too spiritually corrupt. Our existence as servants of God and stewards of this planet is to be messengers for God, the hands and feet of Jesus, and a conduit for the Holy Spirit to reach those who need to find God in their moment of reconciliation to Him.
The most common line I hear from atheists is; "there's no afterlife. we live, we die, we go into the ground, that's it." I used to find this pathetic, and a cop out. Now I just see it for what it truly is, a cry for help. Cry out to Jesus, and He will give you rest.
There are so many lessons from the story of Joseph, but I think the biggest lesson I take from it is that no matter how bad a situation might seem to us, God is somehow using it to teach others and affect change on people around us. This in turn helps us to recognize our own place in the big picture that is being constantly painted about us and for us. We are all colours in the pallette that God uses to tell us who we are through his eternal artwork. In the same vein, the word of God is full of human trials and tribulations that we can all identify with that lead to a fuller understanding of our place in God's kingdom.
I've always taken issue with "empty" people during my life. Even when my faith wasn't very strong I never understood others who didn't believe in something other than this mortal existence. The older I get, and the further I grow in spiritual maturity, however, I see that atheism and agnosticism aren't things to be too upset about. The more I understand how God works, the less I worry about non-believers, and even the Enemy for that matter. Certainly I don't down-play the need for diligence against sin and prayer for those who don't know God. The point is that those folks are where they are for a reason, and God is using them in a way that we can't fully understand. Perhaps it is to test our zeal for evangelism, or to challenge our humilty in the face of adversity. It definitely isn't for us to "defend" God, in my opinion. The Lord Our God is so absolutely powerful and awesome in every way that the last thing He would need us to do is protect Him from being disparaged by those who don't even believe He exists.
Joseph's brothers treated him just like some of us do with each other in regards to faith. The City of Men listen to the City of God (as St. Augustine would say) and think we're nuts. All they want to do is get rid of us, just like the brothers did to Joseph. Our prayers and prophecies seem ridiculous to those who make this mortal existence the only thing of importance. Our role as faithful Christians seems to be similar to that of Joseph during his challenges and struggles. History has shown that no matter how self-sufficient the City of Men becomes, it inevitably tends to call upon the City of God to help it out when it gets too spiritually corrupt. Our existence as servants of God and stewards of this planet is to be messengers for God, the hands and feet of Jesus, and a conduit for the Holy Spirit to reach those who need to find God in their moment of reconciliation to Him.
The most common line I hear from atheists is; "there's no afterlife. we live, we die, we go into the ground, that's it." I used to find this pathetic, and a cop out. Now I just see it for what it truly is, a cry for help. Cry out to Jesus, and He will give you rest.
