For What It's Worth

By Mike Raether

If the title of this little piece caught your attention, it’s most likely because you’ve been asking yourself this question lately. I’m with you. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on things, God makes a left turn when I expect Him to turn right.

To be honest, I often wonder what God is up to in my life. Where is He leading? What does He want me to be and do on this broken planet?

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Because God has planted eternity within our hearts,* it’s only natural to ask such questions. We want to see the big picture. We want to see things from God’s perspective. Although we know that God works all things together for good for those who love Him,** just knowing this isn’t enough for us. We want to know how all things work together.

However, one of the sad consequences of the tragic fall of our original parents, Adam and Eve, is that our spiritual vision is blurred. Because the first two humans chose autonomy over their own destinies rather than follow God, they were no longer privileged with insider information. They no longer walked in the full light of God’s plan. They’d doomed themselves to living day by uncertain day. And because this curse has been passed down to us, we’re forced to live in a tension between wanting to know, needing to know, but having to trust that God knows what He’s up to even if our vision is cloudy. And in this, we’re forced to trust that God knows best.

But not only does God know best; He’s promised His best to those who follow Him.

He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us. Isaiah 49:15-16a says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…”

He’s promised to guide us. Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”

He’s promised to provide for us. Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his descendants begging bread.”

Perhaps you’ve recently encountered some rough waters on the sea of life. Perhaps you’d recently expected an “attaboy” for a good deed, but instead you’ve harvested indifference. Or perhaps you’ve recently stepped out in faith in response to something you thought God wanted you to do, only to come up against a hard dead end.

Hang in there. God will eventually let us know what He’s up to. In the meantime, let’s remember all the times He’s faithfully led us and provided for us in the past, and know that He will continue to do so as we walk with Him into the future. Or as Emerson once noted, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

*Ecclesiastes 3:11.**Romans 8:28. All Scriptures quoted are from the NASU Bible, ©1995 The Lockman Foundation

By Mike Raether

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has long championed the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) as Priority Number 1. An admirable goal indeed – the only problem is that fulfillment of the Great Commission isn’t top priority according to Jesus. The SBC is putting the harvest ahead of preparing the field. And unless the field is properly prepared, there’ll be no harvest.

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I admire the people of the SBC. Under the umbrella of the SBC and with the help of SBC people, I’ve planted and pastored two successful SBC church plants. But like many associated with the SBC, I’m distressed by the decline of the Convention. Although I’ve seen some pretty fancy dancing around the issues, most don’t deny that the SBC has been declining in membership and baptisms for around eight years. Some even say that the SBC is losing ground as a force for the gospel.

I’m not the only one concerned, of course. At the annual meeting of SBC this year, a task force was organized to “study how Southern Baptists can work ‘more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.’”(1) The task force was charged to research “key issues and bring their report, along with any recommendations, to the 2010 SBC annual meeting, June 15-16 in Orlando, Florida.”(2)

It is my hope and prayer that the task force will conclude that promotion and fulfillment of the Great Commission is missing the target. I hope and pray that the SBC will conclude that they’ve lost their first love – literally – and change directions, therefore making the main thing the main thing according to Jesus, and thereby usher in fulfillment of the Great Commission.

And what is the “main thing”? What is it that will prepare the fields for a harvest? What is it that will lead to the actual fulfillment of the Great Commission?

It is the Great Commandment, given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-38.

In response to a question as to His opinion regarding the greatest commandment Jesus answered, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”(3) If we come to love God as Jesus stated, we’ll also come to love people and fulfill the second Great Commandment according to Jesus – Matthew 22:39, “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Once we reach the point where we love God and love others, the field (our hearts) will be prepared for the harvest, and fulfilling the Great Commission will be the natural outflow of our lives. Fulfilling the Great Commission will be as natural as stretching in the morning.

To be fair, this is clearly stated in Point III. of the Great Commission Declaration: “Every Christian is called first and foremost to love God and secondly to love others. Greater love for God will always lead to greater love for people created in His image. The Great Commission flows from the Great Commandments.”(4) The problem is that this profound truth is buried in a section of a document few will ever bother to read. And it’s not even Point I, although it’s clearly point 1 according to Jesus.

And so, with a very small and puny voice I’m calling for a Great Commandment Resurgence. Let it begin with the leadership of the SBC, but let it not end there. Let it begin with every church. Let it begin with every pastor. Let it begin with every Christian. Let it begin with me. And let it begin with you.

If you and I truly loved God, sin would be as rare in our lives as mud in a desert.

If you and I truly loved God, hate and racism wouldn’t be any more common in our hearts than germs on a surgeon’s hands.

If you and I truly loved God, Christ’s love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness would shine from our lives like a flashing beacon set on a mountain.

If you and I truly loved God, good works would flow from us as naturally as water flows from a spring.

If you and I truly loved God, we wouldn’t be known as a bunch of hypocrites.

If you and I truly loved God, the truth would set us free.

We’d hit the target.

And we’d fulfill the Great Commission.

Footnotes – (1) “A Great Commission Resurgence”, SBC LIfe journal, August/September 2009 issue (2) ibed (3) Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (4) www.pray4gcr.com/ (click “What is the GCR?”)