Bringing the light

TODAY'S READING: Matthew 25:31-46
Sometimes I feel like we miss the point. We argue about little things and miss the big picture. We worry about small points and miss the overarching message. We divide over details instead of uniting in the mission of God.
Remember what story was right before the parable of the sheep and goats? It was the story of the three servants. Two had invested wisely and harvested a return. The other had buried his amount and gotten nothing.
I believe the story of the three servants and the story of the sheep and the goats are related. As Jesus was providing insight on how to follow Him, there is a clear message. It is better to take risks for the Kingdom than to play it safe. Give all you have to carry out the mission of God in your world.
I think the third servant who buried his money would have been with the goats. Regardless of how much he had been blessed with, he didn't use it wisely.
How many of us bury the blessings God has given us and fail to use them for His kingdom? Is it more likely we would be seen sitting in a pew or serving a homeless man? Do we think that showing up for church will please God without showing up to serve the lost, lonely, and downtrodden?
I shudder to think about my own life. It scares me to think about how often I become comfortable with pleasing God in ways that are comfortable for me. I have no problem praising God on a Sunday morning. But what do I do on Tuesday afternoon when I see someone whose car is broken down on the side of the road? Or how about the homeless person who needs a meal to eat? Do I waste opportunities to plant seeds for the Kingdom?
God has called us to be much more than people who gather in a building once or twice a week to practice religious acts. He is calling us to be His hands and feet in a broken world. And from what I read in this story that Jesus told, serving that broken world is what is really at the heart of God's work in our lives.
I am convinced more and more that God is not all that concerned with how many church buildings we build if we are not building up people. And I don't think He is all that impressed with our worship if our life doesn't shine His light. This passage convicts me about the fact that religious acts are pretty much meaningless if we don't live out the true religion of bringing the mission of God to life throughout creation. God has called us to do much more than get our ticket punched for heaven. He is inviting us into an adventure of living like Jesus and bringing heaven's light into a dark world.

shine!
Jason