Broken Vessels

I was going to write a post of my own today instead of a summary of someone else's writing, I promise. But then I received an email with a post that resonated so strongly with my heart that all other thoughts moved to the back burner. This post encompasses so much of what I believe and want so desperately to live out. Let's together strive to make our lives reflect our determination to serve as Christ served. "The bottom line is that we are to be banner carriers of hope. The kind of hope that rises even out of the grave. The kind of hope we have in Jesus, who is still the answer to every broken thing. And we are still God's chosen vessels to carry that banner of hope to a dark and broken world. Make no mistake. We are not heroes. We are vessels... and we are broken." Sarah K. Gilmore

"But it is going to take more than awareness for us to make a difference. And God's 'Plan A' to mobilize hope and healing in the earth has always been us. The Church.

The Church will change the world when we make a decision to be willing to have our lives interrupted on behalf of others, no matter the cost. It may cost us a life... and wouldn't that be just like Jesus? Obedience to the point of death?

Oh, but friends — the life it will yield if we are willing to get our hands dirty. I can't look at the life of Jesus and not believe wholeheartedly that this is what we're to do if we want to be like Him. Enter into the mess. Like the Jesus who stooped low to the woman caught in adultery.

We can share our opinions all we want, but until we're a people who actually walk alongside the broken population of our nation that face a mountain of impossibility in their every day lives, I honestly don't believe our opinions carry much weight or authority." Sarah K. Gilmore

"To what extent are we willing to humble ourselves and reach across the chasm of our society to the woman who lives in that reality of hopelessness? What kind of inconvenience are we actually willing to step into on behalf of someone else?

...I'm not sure what the answer is for you. To be honest, I'm not sure what it is for me either. ...I know that He intends to continue to lead me into uncomfortable places of advocating for life in ways that will probably cost me something.

I can't think of a better thing to live for, though. We are not on this earth to build our own kingdoms and dreams. We're here to build His. And it's going to cost us something to be a people who step into impossible situations, right alongside those living in such depravity, leaving our own places of comfort and ease to do so.

This is an exciting hour in our nation for the Church. I pray we enter into the hard places and gain ground in every place that He intends for us to. It's going to take more than our voices though. It's going to take our hands and feet, surrendered entirely to a heart that belongs to Him... which means there may not be much in it for us.

How will YOU respond?" -Sarah K. Gilmore, The Cost of Being an Advocate