Stepping onto His stage

Childhood abuse… sex trafficking…same sex marriages…legal abortions…cloning… financial crisis…unemployment…homelessness…divorce…worldwide terrorism…

Where is God? Has He forgotten us? Why does He allow this evil, chaos, and sin? Doesn’t He care?

God created all things and reigns over His kingdom. This is truth. The earth is full of sin and becoming more evil and depraved daily. This is also truth. Our confusion comes when we forget who is controlling the kingdom of earth where this sin and violence is occurring. Until the fullness of time when God sends Jesus back to claim His bride and reclaims the earth, He promises not to interfere with our freewill or to alter His plan of salvation for His children. We live in a world ruled by powers of darkness. Is it any wonder then that in our day the darkness is increasing?

God has the power to stop all this with a mere breath if He desired but He has a different plan with different purposes. Out of His overwhelming love for us and His ultimate desire that all would come to a saving knowledge of Him, God chooses to work through His children, flawed and imperfect as we are, allowing us the opportunity to see and experience His power and might, His love and compassion, His justice and mercy as we call upon and allow Him to enter into the confusion and pain of this earth. He allows us to “taste and see” the Kingdom of God while here on earth. God chooses to use our hands and feet, our voices, our prayers, even our doubts, limitations, and failings to break bonds, set captives free, heal, restore and save His children living in this dark, sin filled world.

God’s story is a grand narrative of love and redemption. It is a story of the relentless pursuit of a father for prodigal, rebellious children and the unbridled passion and longing of a bridegroom for his bride. The story of God and His Kingdom began before time as we know it and will continue into eternity. If we are believers we should not be sitting in the audience watching this epic unfold before our eyes, full of fear and confusion about the turn the story has taken as is the rest of the audience. We know how the story ends and who claims the final victory. As believers, we are called to be performers on the stage and to step out of the audience and onto the stage, into the pain and darkness unfolding around us, not as victims but as victors. God asks us, but never forces us, to take this step into His story, to claim the unique part He created for us before we were born. He asks us to accept His invitation to experience His Kingdom here on earth, to witness and participate in miracles, to be instruments used for freedom, to apply salve used for comfort, to do the impossible. He draws and woos us with His love and compassion to step onto the stage and accept our role.

There is no small part in His story and no prior experience is required, only a willing heart, an obedient spirit and ears to hear the voice of the Great Director. No one needs to fear or question their ability to perform since all personal strengths and abilities are left behind as we step onto the stage. One need not fear that they will forget their lines or ruin the plot because the Director is more concerned with the willingness to perform than the actual performance and can use even the most flawed or feeble attempt to bear fruit for His Kingdom. It is a grand story, His story, always about Him, never about us.

The Kingdom of God was before time, is here on earth now if we are willing to step into it, and will continue on forever, long after we are gone. The characters will change, the setting and background may vary, but the story line remains the same. That is God’s promise to us and His word is true. Maybe instead of asking “Where is God?” we should be asking ourselves “Where are we?” Are we seated comfortably in the audience watching the drama unfold around us or are we on the stage, engaging the darkness, and living out the role for which we were created?

Join me on the stage, anyone?