"Nothing new"

What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV

While there is nothing new under the sun, I have been moved by the amount of desperation I see in the lives of so many people today. Every society has its ebb and flow of desperate times, but right now it seems as though America has more than enough desperation to go around. 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures”. Many people today are taking desperate action in their lives. The number of suicides, robberies and other violent actions in this area in recent weeks has been amazing. We’ve seen too many people that have given up hope and turned to drugs and violence to gain some sort of control in their lives.

All of this going on around us and yet people do not see where hope is to be found. They turn to anything other than God in their search for hope, peace and control in their lives. So many lost souls wandering aimlessly about, never finding what they are searching for. We need to make ways of reaching out to let them know what it is that is driving them to search; “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecc. 3:11 ESV  The answers aren’t found in new laws and regulations. Its not found in a particular political party. Mankind does not have the answers.

Every person that walks this planet has eternity in their hearts. This is what drives people to seek something that gives meaning to their lives. Today most people try to find that in a particular cause. Take a minute and think about all the causes you know of; diseases, social groups, animal rights, human rights, the list goes on and on. As great as all of these causes are, the people of this world still suffer and languish in loneliness and desperation in spite of having a “focus” in their lives. Why? Because, the focus is not on what will guide people to make broader reaching efforts in the lives of those that are seeking comfort in this fallen world.

There is only one answer to the world’s problems. The good news about Jesus. The Gospel is what truly changes lives and hearts. Only through Jesus sacrifice and His teachings will the individuals find purpose, hope and lasting peace. The more people that come to Christ and His way of living, the better off the world will be. The way that will happen, is through His disciples. When we live out the teachings of Jesus and truly love others as He does, then we will see lives changed for the better.

Today, let those of us who have been changed by the Gospel seek to show that change to the world around us. Let’s show people the “cause” that will offer hope and renewed focus to their lives. That cause is, the cause that Jesus lived and died for. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 ESV Whether people realize it or not, without God they are lost and will not find what they seek.

Jesus spoke to so many people that were lost and didn’t even realize it. The saddest cases were those that thought they had it all under control. There are many like that today and they need to hear the good news. Let’s let our changed lives speak to them. If we wear the name Christian, we are on mission. Let’s fulfill that mission one life at a time. Reach out today.

© 2013 Leo J. Woodman