Your changed heart can change the world

I realize I may have stepped on a few sensibilities in (a recent) article.
I know that we would love to have a religion that is all about us. I understand the attraction of a vending machine god that answers every prayer.
But guess what folks, that isn’t what Christianity is about. So, if I upset your vision of the church, well, I guess you will have to deal with it. Church is not about you or me.
Church is about God, (I know you have heard it before).
It is also about self-forgetfulness.
I would argue that there is no other religion in the world whose focus is away from the practitioner. When Christ was asked which were the greatest commandments, he responded with Love God and Love your neighbor, (you can check it out in Matthew 22:34-40).
Notice Jesus did not say, “Take care of yourself first, and then if you have time love God and then maybe your neighbor.” No, he pointed out that our first duty is to love God, and by doing that we fulfill our second duty of loving our neighbor.
He also points out that if we do this, we will fulfill every law that was written as well as fulfill prophecies.
So, the secret of Christianity is to stop being so self-absorbed. Stop looking for ways to get ahead or be more comfortable. Instead, look for ways to show your love for God and help your neighbor.
You see, I honestly believe that many of the problems that are in the world, (and they have been for centuries) are because we are in a world that focuses on self.
When we work, we work for our own benefit. We gather to stock our own larders. We build to make ourselves more comfortable. We sometimes will do charitable things around Christmas or in emergencies, but for the most part, it’s all about me, myself and I.
Let’s face it, we can be selfish, which is why the world is so opposed to Christianity. Christianity does not seek to impose rules that force people to give to others. Christianity truly leads us to change our hearts from self-preservation to neighbor focus. When we focus on Christ, we can’t help but focus on our neighbors.
This is why it is so important for you and me to get to church. It is in church that we can learn and practice how to be more self-forgetful. It is here where opportunities of selfless love begin to present themselves. It is in church that we are reminded of the ultimate self-sacrifice for the world. (Does John 3:16-17 ring a bell?)
If the very person we follow lays down his life for us, who are we to not do the same?
So, if you want the world to change get thee to church. Learn what it means to Love God and Love your neighbor. Your changed heart will truly change the world.
See you in church.