“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”–1 Timothy 2:1-4

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and 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.”-Matthew 28: 18-20

“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” declares the Sovereign Lord. “Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”-Ezekiel 18:23

Nourish Each Other’s Soul

As I consider our beautiful planet,
I have an idea, audacious and bold.
 It’s a plan to prevent the destruction
A new paradigm to replace the old.
My heart suddenly fills with excitement,
Overflows with eternal hope;
For a new world of safety and peace
Ruled by love that’s endless in scope.
A world where the whole population
Unites in a mutual goal;
To glorify God, worship His Son,
And nourish each other’s soul.
We can make this miracle happen
If only we harness our thoughts.
We can change our future by refusing to accept
This world of haves and have-nots.
Together we can heal the whole planet
By openly expressing God’s love.
And giving each other the level of respect
His love makes us worthy of.
God gave us His unconditional love
Along with a will that is free.
Hoping that we would live on this earth
As one peaceful family.
It may not come in our generation,
But perhaps in that of our son’s.
The world will finally give peace a chance
Understanding that wars can’t be won.
Only then will our children begin to unite,
Work together toward a mutual goal;
To glorify God, worship His Son,
And nourish each other’s soul.
We can make this miracle happen
If only we join our thoughts.
We can change the future by refusing to accept
This world of haves and have-nots.
Together we can heal the whole planet
By openly expressing God’s love.
And giving each other the level of respect
His love makes us worthy of.
©Linda Troxell

Have you ever imagined a world where there is no war, no racial divisiveness, no poverty, homelessness or starvation; a world where there is no us or them, and no haves and have-nots? I have, it’s one of my favorite daydreams. I use to think that all it would take to create such a world was to evenly distribute the wealth of the world so that no one lived in luxury and no one lived in poverty. At that time, I thought at the root of the world’s ills was the love of money. So I reasoned that if there was no mechanism by which anyone could be richer than anyone else there would be no reason to fight. It was a childish dream born of childish reasoning. Because today I realize that the ills of the world are much more complex than money or the lack of it.

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend who had just read an article from the 1950’s that gave women advice about how to be a good wife. Because it was from the 50’s it was full of admonishments to make sure your home is someplace your husband looks forward to returning to after a long day of work. It advised women to make their homes beautiful and welcoming, calm and stress-free; to make sure the children are quiet, you are pretty and dinner is ready. The friend, much younger than I, said that she thought it was sweet that there was a time when wives looked after their husbands and wanted to make them comfortable. She said she thought she would be willing to do that if she didn’t have to work. I reminded her that at that time women had very few choices or rights. And that perhaps it is sweet when it is your choice but not so much when it is the only choice. She conceded and said that she just thought that husbands and wives should take care of each other and not take each other for granted like they seem to now.

I thought about that conversation long after it was over. Because it bothered me because it seemed there was no middle ground in the relationships between husbands and wives. When women had very few opportunities or rights it was important to her survival for a woman to have a husband. So wives took good care of their husband so they didn’t stray to a greener pasture. And perhaps men were not as devoted or appreciative as they should have been because, to some degree, their wives were captured audiences, so to speak. Then, when women were afforded more rights, instead of husbands and wives becoming more mutually caring they seemed to become more indifferent to one another. I wondered if there was a solution to this problem.

When the answer came to me, I was astonished that it took so long for me to see it. The answer, of course, is that husbands and wives need to behave toward one another in the same manner that God intended us all to behave. They need to behave like Christians. I’m not talking about the religious, go to church on Sunday, be polite to impress, then go home and gossip about the congregation Christian behavior. I’m talking about the do unto others, love thy neighbor as thyself, and feed my sheep kind of Christian behavior. If husbands and wives were to treat one another in a Christian manner they would each feel nurtured, loved and appreciated. They would promote one another’s wellbeing, opportunities and best interests because they would genuinely want the best for each other.

This, of course, brought me to the solution for my longstanding daydream of a world of peace and harmony. If we were all to behave in the manner to which God calls us, our world would be an ideal place to live. I guess that was God’s original idea; what he had in mind when he created us in his image. He envisioned having children who freely loved and obeyed him; he envisioned children who freely loved and adored one another, who took care of each other and shared with each other. A world where everyone was as concerned for the welfare of others as they were for their own welfare. In the world, as God created it, there would be no have’s and have not’s because each person would take only what they needed and each person would be their brother’s keeper. In God’s ideal world there would be no wars because there would be no greed, or status or jealousy to fight about.

It seems like the belief that the world could come together in peace and love is now looked upon as a trite and naïve idea. It seems as if most Christians are resigned to waiting until Jesus comes back to have this idyllic existence. But I think that view is far too cynical. I know we can make this world a better, maybe even a perfect place to live. I don’t think God wants us to simply give up because Jesus is coming back. The Bible tells us that God wants everyone to be saved. In fact, we are directed to pray for just that. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”–1 Timothy 2:1-4 And God Himself tell us that he is pleased when a wicked person is saved from their ways and lives. “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” declares the Sovereign Lord. “Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”-Ezekiel 18:23 The answer to making the world safe is, like most answers, very simple. However, like most answers, it isn’t easy. Change never is.

The answer, of course, is that we convince the world to behave as God has called us to behave. It is so obvious not only because it makes sense but because it is the cornerstone of Christianity. Is this not the Great Commission given by Jesus to his disciples?  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and 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.”-Matthew 28: 18-20 We are to accomplish the Great Commission through witnessing, preaching, baptizing and teaching. And we will be successful because just as He was with the original Apostles, Jesus will be with us as we undertake this holy assignment.

Make no mistake about this commission, when Jesus tells us to go and make disciples of every nation He does not mean go and fill up the church pews with people who simply want to learn about Christianity. No; although the root of the Greek word for disciple is to learn, it means far more than just gathering an audience who are curious. Christ is talking about apprentices more than students. He is telling us to go and find people who not only want to learn the doctrine but follow the doctrine. Who not only want to know the teachings but become attached to the teacher and emulate His conduct in life. In order for these new disciples to follow the doctrine, know the teachings, and emulate the teacher they will need to be taught His commands and how to observe them. So our job of making disciples is not a one-shot deal. It’s not only the excitement of winning a new soul for Jesus, but the follow through. The commitment to the hard work of teaching the new disciple what it means to follow Jesus. Or at the very least to make sure that they have all that they need to learn.

 So, when we lead a soul to Jesus we are taking on a responsibility, we are making a commitment to that person, ourselves and our God that we will be available to the disciple until they are firmly rooted as a member of the family of God. It sounds like a big commitment, and it is. But for each disciple we bring into the family we increase the chance that we will one day have the world that God originally created. A world where all of God’s children freely obey Him and freely love and adore one another.

Points for Prayer and Pondering

What are your thoughts on the Great Commission? Do you see it as your responsibility as a Christian to bring as many souls as possible to Christ and to mentor them in Christianity? Why or why not?

Have you had the opportunity to bring someone to Christ? If yes, write a bit about that experience. If no, do you have plans to do so? Write a bit about that plan.

If you have led someone to the Lord, did you then mentor them in Christianity or find them someone who could?