2010 Can a Nation be Changed?

Written by Paul White Friday, 22 January 2010 16:12

Imagine that you knew 2010 was to be the last year of your life. Imagine that the people you love would soon have to manage without you there anymore. What would change? What would suddenly seem important and what would seem trivial and irrelevant? What excuses would you no longer bother with? What would stop you sharing Jesus with the people you meet every day? Who would you go to see to ask for their forgiveness?

The First Century Christians had a short life expectancy on the earth, but their perspective was eternity: they invested their wealth, energy and often their lives in something which would last forever. Those guys transformed the world in their own lifetimes, but they were willing to pay the price. It is my belief that if we lived with that perspective, we too would change our world.

We only get one go at this life. Time is a very finite resource, but it has a massive bearing on what happens next.

Jim Elliot, the Christian pilot was killed by the Amazon tribespeople he went to help. His famous words: "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he can never lose," are still powerful today. They echo the words of Jesus: "...whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39)

Much of our modern life is geared to living in such a way that we do not need to really trust God. Massive industries exist to mitigate risk- insurance, health cover, life cover, loan protection plans, extended warranties... meanwhile the clock ticks and Christians mourn the loss of values and moral decline. How will we live this year?

Jesus said "where your treasure is there your heart will be also". (Matthew 6:21)

Where is yours?