The Difference Jesus Makes

Posted by Kirk M. Wellum @ http://redeemingthetime.blogspot.com

On my way into Toronto Baptist Seminary on the GO train this morning I had an opportunity to read a couple of things in Christianity Today (February 2007) that are worth passing on. The first is a piece by John W. Kennedy on new numbers that show that some baby boomers who retire early are volunteering in a variety of capacities on the mission fields of the world. This is welcome news. Those Christians who are fortunate enough to be able to retire early have the opportunity to serve the Lord in all kinds of wonderful ways at home and abroad. It is always a shame when people in this category decide to live for themselves and step back from active involvement in the life of the church. Usually by this stage in their lives they have a wealth of experience to draw from and they have lived long enough to grow strong in the Lord as his word has shaped their thinking through all the vicissitudes of life. There are no shortcuts to this kind of maturity and it is wonderful to hear that they are willing to put themselves at the Lord's disposal right to the end of their lives in the face of many competing but lesser options.

The second item that caught my eye was a report on a new book called, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism," by Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks. By his own admission, Brooks was surprised to discover that religious conservatives are not as stingy as he expected them to be especially when compared to their more liberal counterparts, both religious and secular. Brooks explains his findings in terms of four factors: church attendance, two-parent families, Protestant work ethic, and a distaste for government social services. He also noted that not only do religious conservatives give more money to churches and charities but they are more likely to give more to schools, those in need, and they are even more likely to give blood on a regular basis. However, as Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, mentions near the end of her article, while these findings are encouraging they need to be balanced with other studies that show that evangelicals are giving less as a percentage of their income, then in the past. For instance, in 1968 they gave away 6.7% of their income, whereas in 2004 that number had dropped to 4.4%. This drop is not apparent because of growing attendance and rising incomes but combined with the fact that more money is staying at home within churches to pay for music ministries and technology, only 2%, on average, is being invested in missions.

Both reports show that Christianity makes a practical difference in people's lives. Ideas do have consequences, and where the truth of the gospel penetrates the mind and heart, there are noticeable and quantifiable lifestyle changes that take place. This is how it should be! It is completely consistent with the Lordship of Jesus Christ. But for all the positive changes there is always room for improvement this side of the new heavens and earth. We live in the tension between what has been called the "Already" and the "Not Yet". We are thankful for all that God has done for us and this inspires us to strive to grow in his grace and walk in his strength and do even better in the future.