Born for a Time Such as This

If it were my choice, I don’t think I would have chosen to spend my “golden years” at the present time. Part of the reason is that, despite our hard work to prepare for retirement, the economic collusion of the Fed with the man in the oval office has stamped a huge question mark on the financial future of my generation. In addition, there are many forces at work either warping, or like an acid dissolving, the social institutions that hold our society together—marriage, family, community, church …

A cacophony of voices shouts to us that right is wrong and wrong is right. Isaiah warned us about this very thing. And the nation that I love, America, is self-destructing from the selfishness, greed, and utter foolishness of those who have acquired power and will do almost anything to retain it.

My complaints could go on for pages, but the fact remains that God says He appointed the times in history when each of us would live. He even decided where we would be born. We don’t get to choose. Our times are in His hands. And, as bad as I think my times are, there were much worse times to live. I’m thankful I was not numbered among the Americans who had to live, or die, in the Civil War years, or among the people buried beneath the killing fields of Cambodia.

The burning question is, in light of all this, what should we do? What must I do?

Mordecai challenged Esther with a question, “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” But we don’t have to ask that question of ourselves, because we have it in black and white—several times in scripture—that we were born for such a time as this (e.g. Acts 17:26, Psalm 31:15). We were born to face its problems and feel its prosperity, to eschew its vices and extol its virtues but, most of all, we were born to shine light into a dark place and to be salt while we illuminate the darkness around us.

Running from our duty, like Jonah, is futile and painful … unless you get your kicks from becoming whale barf on the beach. Also, it can be painful to shine a light on powerful people who are doing things in the darkness that they shouldn’t be doing at all.

But those of us who are Jesus followers don’t have to stand alone in this dark place. We have brothers and sisters to help us. If we’ll band together to form a solid front, we’ll be an army, marching shoulder-to-shoulder. Furthermore, we have the power of God’s Spirit in us, and He did not give us the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

The culture and society are dark, but light obliterates darkness. Our society is pluralistic, but that means the world has come to our doorstep. Evil seems to be winning, but God is for us, so who can stand against us?

Our stage has been set. Our curtain is opening. This is the moment we were born for. Our destiny is waiting and we have an open door. Our time is now! Carpe diem!

Here’s a powerful anthem, expressing in song what I could only capture in part with my words. I strongly encourage you to listen, all the way to the end, to A Time Such as This, by Phillips, Craig, and Dean.