Becoming Known For What We Are For by Matt Whitlock
Much of my day is spent with the feeling of small grains of sand falling in an hour glass. Like time is a book about to be closed. By nature I am a futurist. I didn't read a book, or take training for it. Its just how I've been wired. I feel the weight of the shortness of my life always bearing down on me.
It might have something to do with my birth. 34 years ago, God spared my life from a young girl caught in a difficult circumstances ready to sacrifice me to the god of convenience. The living God stepped in with revelation and she walked out of the office knowing she was keeping the life inside (which was me), and God was going to help her. It forever binds me to a constant awareness that my life is not my own, and a burning desire for my life to be a voice for the purposes of God.
At times my voice has been used to stir the pot. A voice that challenges the status quo of the body of Christ in order to move us from living for personal reputation to self abandonment for the sake engaging culture for Christ. To be the kingdom of God in every category of life. Not only in word but in action.
The church has become known for what its against, I want the church to become known for what its for! But in my efforts, I've slipped into criticism, and I myself have become known more for what I was against. In my passion to be a voice in the wilderness, calling out the solution; I simply became a voice in the noisy wilderness of criticism and cynicism. I became the exact thing I had hoped to change.
I was confronted with this recently. I've been confronted by people in my life, but this was a confrontation from God; a burning bush moment. God asked: "Matt, do you want to become known for what your for or for what your against? Do you want to be apart of the problem or the solution?" It was a radical, personal and poiniant challenge from the Spirit of God.
What would it look like to live a life where I was known for what I was for rather then what I was against? How would that effect my relationships? How would that effect those I work with? Do I want my children to know what I am against in their life or what I am for? Do I want my wife to know the things I am against in her life or the things I am for in her life?
The result of being known for what your against creates an alienated family life, work life and friendships. And if we become alienated from those around us we quickly become exiles from the very culture we are called to influence for Christ. And I fear at the end of my life I will become a bitter old man who never created anything that solved anything and hindered everything that could have been good.
This simple concept is what made Jesus so completely relevant to society. He desires that the culture of the eternal Kingdom would permeate every aspect of the temporary kingdoms we are citizens of here on earth. That every single day we would be known for what we are for in our friends lives, in our workplace, in our churches, so we can begin to see each area of our lives "on earth as they are in heaven."
Matt Whitlock was born and raised in New York, and has spent many years working for YWAM and founder Loren Cunningham. His current project is a dynamic model of community called The Tribe. You can connect with Matt on facebook and twitter.
