Taryn Hansen
“Open up, open up, and give yourself away. You see the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay? God’s calling and you’re the one, but like Jonah, you run. He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in. Oh, can’t you see it’s such a sin?” These are the lyrics to Keith Green’s famous song “Asleep in the Light.”
When I reflect on Green’s words, it makes me think of the unfortunate truth that the American church is asleep in the light. I recently went on a mission trip to Belize, where God would open my eyes and the eyes of my fellow team to the sobering reality of the world around us. There in Belize we discovered how poor the area was, and the deep spiritual warfare. But despite the tragedy of seeing most of their houses being no better than an abandoned shack in Virginia City, the kids who hadn’t showered in days, or the mother who prostituted herself while her daughter was out front, the church in that small town was alive, and hungry to serve. The believers there, although few, loved God with a fire that I had hardly seen before. They had a child like faith. They revered God and His Word.
It was seeing the church in the small villages of this foreign country, that the Lord revealed to me the state of the American church. Not every church of course, but many I see, have grown cold in love (Matthew 24:12), and the church has become complacent in their faith and apathetic to the lost world around us. We have lost the fire to share the gospel to the lost world around us. I had lost the fire.
So what do we do? I would be doing a disservice if I left this article here. Jesus tells us exactly what to do in Matthew 28:20, where he says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This verse is great in so many ways because it brings clarity to our life’s purpose and mission. We are called to make disciples. Not everyone is called to go on a mission trip to somewhere else in a different country, but you’re not off the hook. Your mission field is right where you are, your family members, co-workers, friends etc. God’s calling you to share the Good News of Jesus to those around you, and to live an upright life for all to see. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
So are you disconnected from your life’s purpose or deeply concerned about the state of the world? Be encouraged that you can make a tremendous impact for the Kingdom by sharing and living the gospel. Revere Keith Green’s words by recognizing the call to action, urging believers to wake up from their spiritual slumber and engage in active Christian living. And the best part, remember Jesus is always with you.
Taryn Hansen is Creative Arts Director at High Sierra Fellowship
