Whenever we try to make things right, we will not always do so perfectly. In some of our attempts, we will make a mess before righteous change comes. This is not just in our personal relationships. It affects even how a nation is governed. We are seeing examples of this now in our nation, where fraud and abuse are being uncovered.
We can get so emotionally caught up in what is happening on either side of an issue that we will reject any attempt by agents of change and toss out the whole process without seeing what is happening at a deeper level.
As change and adjustment occurs, it will reflect what John the Baptist described when he referenced the coming of Jesus, “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire” (Luke 3:17-18). This is what will happen in our personal lives and within a nation. A separation of the chaff from the wheat must take place before real change occurs.
What John announced was the disruptive presence of Jesus that would be at work in His imperfect followers. Those of us who claim to follow Jesus and desire His will will bring our imperfect solutions to the process of change, hoping we are bringing change for the betterment of the lives of those around us. Some of our proposed changes will miss the mark. Other changes will free those who have been deceived by falsehoods and abuse, having been taken advantage of by corrupted cultural institutions that are long overdue for change.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, one of the devil’s deceptions was to offer the Lord authority over all the kingdoms of earth if Jesus would bow down and worship the devil.
“The devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ‘I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,’ the devil said, ‘because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you worship me’” Luke 4:5-7). Jesus rejected the devil’s temptation by saying, “‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (vs. 8).
The mission of Jesus, as expressed by John the Baptist and His temptation by the devil in the wilderness, is a reminder for us of what is at stake when change is taking place. Jesus’ presence in His imperfect people will become a disruptive presence to the kingdoms of the world that are held captive under the power and authority of hell.
In the process of change, the Lord does not require our complete agreement with all that is happening. Both sides of any change are imperfect. We need to have a humble and teachable spirit to see how and where the Lord is at work in the process of change. With that humility and teachability, we will not pass premature judgment on what is happening before the Lord has His way and until all the kingdoms of this world come under His authority.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins
Featured Image by Andrew Stutesman on Unsplash
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