God Shaped Hole

When Jesus found someone hungry, he gave them food. When he found them sick, he gave them health. When people were cast out by the elite, he gave them security. When people mourned, he gave them comfort. Jesus gave, and gives all these things, but Jesus is not grocery store God, hospital God, security blanket God, or an ease-my-emotional-pain God. God is much bigger than any of those and bigger than all those put together.

When people face issues of life, often they become aware of their need for God. I’ve heard people say, “I’ve got a God-shaped hole in my heart.” The truth usually is that there is a hole in the heart, something is missing, but it is actually the shape of something God can help with; not actually shaped like God. As a church, which is the body of Christ – meaning that we do his work in this world – we face a dilemma when we want to present Christ as someone who cares about your hunger, your health, your security, and your tears. The dilemma is expressed by N. T. Wright in an interview with Tim Stafford for Christianity Today magazine (Jan 2007). “… If you simply address the God-shaped blank that people think they’ve got, the God you end up with is the God shaped by the blank.”

As a church, like Jesus, we are dying to help you! The greatest help we can be, though, is to show you all of who God is, not just what God can do. If you’ll let him in – and he is knocking – you’ll discover that he is much, much bigger than any hole in your heart can hold! That’s Life at Work!

Gospel and Rescue: Care for the Nations

“Free At Last: Another One Down And 27 Million To Go. How Christians Are Becoming Modern Slavery’s Worst Nightmare.”

“Hope In The Heart Of Darkness: 3.9 Million Dead. 40,000 Raped. Christian Survival In Congo’s Killing Fields.”

“Red Light Rescue: The Business Of Saving Girls From A Life Of Prostitution.”

Those are the front cover stories in some of the most recent Christianity Today magazines. Some readers may initially scoff at the stories because of political influence and abuse, but the problems are real – and so are the people. And they have souls. Our compassion must be equally real!

The dispersed, the persecuted, the hungry, and the enslaved were on the mind of Paul and other disciples as they evangelized the world of their generation. Paul wrote to masters and slaves instructing them about godly treatment, and when he could, strongly encouraged masters to set their servants free (Colossians 3:22-4:1; Philemon 12-16). Slave trading, often involving kidnapping, was specifically condemned by Paul, and Timothy was charged to call his church out of such practice (1 Tim 1:10). When Agabus prophesied about the upcoming famine in the days of Claudius, the disciples were quick to offer their gift of help to their brothers living in Judea.

God is just, and we are to be concerned for those facing injustices, and especially where they cannot help themselves, Christians must step in. We cannot walk by on the other side of road. We cannot stand aside. It looks too much like we are holding coats and giving our approval.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Gal 6:9-10).

What can we do? We can support mission efforts that involve helping the dispersed, the persecuted, the hungry, and the enslaved. We can be more involved with the missions we already support, paying special attention to these hurting human beings. We can read to become more aware of the plight of others, and have our eyes open to the doors God will open for us to help! That’s Life at Work!