Critical Ministry Memories #3: Lostness.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Critical Ministry Memories #3: Lostness. Jesus said that His primary purpose in coming to this world was to “seek and save that which was lost.” He asked the question once about a shepherd boy. He said a good shepherd with 99 sheep accounted for and 1 lost would leave the 99 to go in search of the 1. And when he found the 1, he’d pick it up and carry it back to the others, after which he would celebrate over the lost sheep being found.
If you’ve been saved for very long at all you’ll find it becomes increasingly easier by the day to forget what it felt like to be lost. Our new reality as a believer begins to cause our memory of the unsaved days to fade away. Granted, some of the memories of those days need to fade away and the faster the better. But I think there’s something to be said for the fact that we were all once lost – and we shouldn’t ever forget that fact.
We’ve been called to impact the world’s lostness. The sin that those without Christ still find themselves trapped in is weighing them down into a pit of brokenness, whether they realize it yet or not. They are shackled in the chains of addiction or depression, hopelessness or fear, loneliness or uncertainty. They don’t know what the future holds, and they have no idea what lies beyond the grave. We were once there – remember?
Yet somewhere along our journey in our lostness God spoke to someone and told them to bring the Gospel to us. And the most exciting part is this: they did! They heard His voice and obeyed. And the result is that we are believers now, following Christ on an entirely new journey with heaven as our home. Had they not listened and obeyed, who knows where I’d be right now. It’s scary to think about, honestly.
So who, today, is God telling YOU to take the Gospel to? Do you hear His voice? Are you going to obey? At some point someone did both of those things, and you benefited. Will you now be selfish and not return that favor to someone else in their lostness? Are you willing to allow their eternal destination to stay the same to preserve your “comfort zone” and “shyness?” Remember today that you were once lost, too. Go – give someone else the chance to now sing, “I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see!”



That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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