Out of Sight-Out of Mind

Sunday night I shared a blog circulating around the internet entitled, “Why Christians Need to Grow a Pair”.

 

It showed horrific images of Christians, especially children, getting persecuted by the extremist group, ISIS- Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. 
I had seen other articles being posted and shared, but this one was different. It was different in the fact that I took the time to actually read it.
Maybe it was the fact that the man called out Christians and it struck a chord with me?
Honestly, that was probably it.

I usually have trouble reading through the entirety of these sorts of articles.
First off, because I feel helpless.
I don’t know what to do.

I think that’s what many of us feel here in America.

We can’t even begin to know how to help, so we avoid and we ignore. Not everyone, but many of us, myself included.

Far too many times I ask God, “What can I do? I don’t have a lot of money, I don’t have contact over there, what can I do? “

This man hits the nail on the head with this excuse.
You can do something.  
PRAY.
I can pray.

Praying is hard for me and that's ok.
My mind goes off in twenty different directions and I forget what I initially began praying for.
There are times  when I am just tired of praying.
In fact, I gave up on a certain prayer awhile ago because I felt like it was useless. The situation wasn't changing, or so it seemed.

But, what if my family wouldn't have prayed for my recovery? What if they wouldn't have relentlessly asked God to help me fight the addiction? What if my mom's small group stopped praying because it had been nine years and I wasn't getting better, and well, God wasn't coming through?
What if?

Now, I don't know why God answers some prayers and not others. I will never know that answer.
And yet despite not knowing, I am still called to pray.
In fact, I must pray.

At the end of this article, he challenged those who read it to share it on their facebook feed.
My soul started stretching and the excuses started…
“What will my facebook friends, I use the term, “friend” loosely, think of me if I post this? Some of them aren’t Christians? Are they going to think I am crazy? Will some unfriend me?”
Instantly I was reminded of the verse that tells me I must fear God over man.

So, I shared it and no one liked it. I can’t say I was surprised by that, I wouldn’t have liked it either.
But the fact that I had to think about posting it before I did made my heart break.
People overseas are dying for their faith, and I can’t even post a facebook post standing up for them?

I was listening to a sermon while I was running the other day. The pastor was telling the congregation to stop watching news and to stop fearing what is going on overseas.  Something in me got fired up and upset.

Yes, Christians are commanded not to fear.
However, Jesus never once said, “Stay in your bubble”.

Social media and technology allow us to be informed of what is going on all around us. So while I do believe we need to be careful of what we are watching, and how much, I completely disagree with the fact that we should be comfortable with being unaware and uninformed.

If praying is all you can do, pray.

If donating a few dollars is all you can do, donate a few dollars.
If sharing a facebook post to help others become aware of what is going on, share away.

The world can’t afford for you to not do anything.

I have lived with a, “out of sight-out of mind” mentality far too long.

My cross necklace and over used Bible are only accessories until I put action behind them. 

This was a wake-up call for me.
Maybe it will be for you also.