“His voice leads us not into timid discipleship but into bold witness.”
Dr. Charles Stanley
A week ago, a friend and I were engaged in an Instagram chat. We were discussing the crazy times that we are currently living in, and she mentioned the idea has crossed her mind of moving to a faraway island to get away from all this craziness. I shared with her how I have had the same thoughts cross my mind as well. Although it was playful banter, we both reminded ourselves that as Christians we are not to remove ourselves from our culture, but instead to remember that we are the salt of the earth.
Several years ago, you might remember Southwest Airlines ran a popular ad campaign that asked potential travelers, “Wanna Get Away?” The ad plays on our desire to remove ourselves from our hectic lives and get away, even if it is just for a week or two.
This reminds me of the prophet Jonah who was another guy who wanted to get away. Appointed by God to travel to the great city of Nineveh, Jonah rudely declined God’s invitation and decided that he had better travel plans in mind.
Much like today’s culture Nineveh was a powerful pagan city whose inhabitants, according to Scripture, could not tell their right hand from their left. Sounds similar to our culture today doesn’t it?
Jonah was a personal favorite of the artist Michelangelo. And because of that Jonah is the largest prophet portrayed on the ceiling that sits above the Sistine Chapel. If you have read the book of Jonah, then you know the rest of the story. Jonah ended up traveling to Nineveh and, because he boldly proclaimed who God was, an entire city came to know him.
As our country continues to slide further away from things of God, you and I as followers of Jesus have the opportunity to speak truth during these trying times. So, I want to encourage you today in your faith. I want to encourage you to be bold in proclaiming Christ as Lord! I want to encourage you to engage our culture…do not hide from it.
You and I can do that because God himself is with us!