Are we idealists or realists? A devotional thought.

I ran across a description of what made Napolean Bonaparte such a great leader. It was said that he was an idealist who was also an amazing realist. He coupled the two and in doing so, set himself apart from others of his era.

It reminded me of the introduction of E. Stanley Jones's book Is the Kingdom of God Realism. In the introduction, he talks of his encounters with a young lady in Russia, a Marxist. She asked him if he was an idealist or a realist. Jones wasn't quite ready for that query - he stumbled into admitting he was an idealist. The lady dismissed him; she was a realist, and anybody else who wasn't was hardly relevant to the struggle of contemporary society.

It got Jones to thinking. The Word became flesh! The greatest idea - or Idea! - of all had become flesh, or real, for all of us. The Kingdom of God WAS realism. Nothing could be more real.

James Sire wrote the worldview volume titled The Universe Next Door. In it, he said that the definition of the Really Real was the starting point for an understanding of anyone's world view. The really Real.

For us that is, of course, God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But we don't get to leave it at that - that God took on real human flesh.

It is said of the Athenians during the travels of Paul that they loved spending "their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas." (Acts 17:21) I am not sure a lower thing could be said of people interested in truth (particularly in a book titled ACTS!) But all too often that is what the local church is all about...sitting around, talking. Exchanging ideas. They are led by professors in seminaries who taught them doing the same thing.

In my seminary classes I want my students to hear this at least a dozen times: If you make disciples by sitting around and talking don't be surprised if your disciples sit around and talk.
Believe me, disciples like that are the ultimate in frustration for pastors around the world!

It is said that when the Word became flesh He went on the move in the real world...a world of lepers, demoniacs, hypocrites, the sexually abused and abusers, liars, cheats, murderers - a real world.

It is where we belong. To love, to heal, to redeem. That Word became flesh said, afterall, "Follow Me."

Today's Devotion: Some selected quotes

A lot of people don't remember the latter part of Romans where it gets exceedingly practical.

Romans 15
¹ We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

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I'm thinking that this faith of ours isn't comprised of just great Bible lessons and good theology, it's comprised of making a difference and changing lives.

I would like, for instance, my local church youth group to develop a group of kids that would run over to a hurting and lonely kid when he walked in the youth room. To be thinking all the time who can I talk to for the glory of God in this room. It probably won't be the most popular person. It will probably be the person in the corner who's shuffling his feet wondering, "Why did mom make me come here."

And then I start thinking about my Church. That we might be able to think, "Is there some need I should meet here in this room?" And then we should start to think about our community, "Is there anything that I need to do here, that others don't want to do?"

Lord, set me down in those places.

We know that that is one tremendous place to be, because we have it on good authority that these sorts of places are where Jesus wanted to be.

It says after Jesus said, "Follow me", Jesus went.

Maybe we should watch where Jesus went.

Jesus apparently went to the untouchables of his culture and touched them.

Jesus went to the untouchables and touched them, loved them, helped them, and eventually died for them.

When He says follow Me...who are you going to gravitate towards? Some of you will be in class rooms, others will be in business, some will be in your homes. Who are you going to gravitate towards today because you are following Jesus?