Shining Selfless Servants…Yet Unsaved

One of the things I love about our country is that when things are at their worst, we are usually at our best.  I know, I know, there are also plenty of people out there more concerned with hoarding toilet paper than saving the world–won’t that be an interesting conversation topic on judgement day?  But, by and large, as a nation, we tend to shine during the darkest hours. And I think that’s probably true for the rest of the world too.  Why is that?  Of course the answer is…God. He’s doing His thing. He’s behind the scenes working everything out…for our good, and His glory.  But, while I’m hunkered down here…doing my due diligence on ‘social distancing‘…I’ve got to be honest and say that I’m a little confused about things…and I’m kicking against the goads a bit too.

I don’t have to ask if the coronavirus has effected your life…you live on planet earth…it has!  I noticed a few days back they gave it a more proper name–COVID-19.  I seem to remember that at one point the virus had mutated at least once.  So…is there now a COVID-19a?  Sorry, not trying to add to the storm of uncertainty swirling around us. Besides, does it matter? If there are two, or even more strains of this virus going around, the protocols they have in place should protect us just as well.  And so, the real question becomes how much has COVID-19 changed your life?

On the emotional side…are you worried, fed up, feeling overwhelmed…just plain angry?  And the list goes on.  What about your daily life?  Many of us are all but house-bound. Still others are having to work more hours than ever before, without any relief in sight.  And then there’s the BIG question…what risk factor category do you fit into?  And that’s what this all really comes down to isn’t it?  How many people do you know and love who are in their sixties, or older…and how many of our younger ones have other underlying issues. 

Laurie and I have a daughter-in-law who has such a perfect, loving heart, but not physically perfect.  That is very worrisome, so with her, and all our other high risk family and friends, I feel so helpless. I just want to run out, get a bucket of lamb’s blood, and start smearing it over doorways…oops, wrong covenant.  But I need to do something, I know that.  We all need to do our part…especially us Christians…we are the Lord’s hands and feet after all.  But it’s hard to put those hands and feet to much use in a socially distanced world. I’m afraid many of us will have to settle for using our knees instead…we can all pray more! And we can remain confident that the Lord will bring us through this trial, and attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading on just how He’ll do that. In fact, all we have to do is open our eyes and we’ll see the church already stepping up to the challenge, serving those in need is so many wonderful ways–Praise God!

But that’s not what the main point of this post is about. It’s about lost servants. The unsaved stepping up and shining as brightly as most Christians do…that, and the fact that we probably have the whole risk factor thing about as mixed up as it can get. Let me explain by telling you about an old goad I’ve been kicking against for years, one that COVID-19 has sharply reminded me of here of late…God’s unsaved servants. That phrase may have led you to do a double take, but I assure you they do exist. They live right here amongst us, and they always have…ever heard of a guy named Ben Franklin?

When I was a kid I didn’t care too much about history. But for some reason Benjamin Franklin really caught my attention. George Washington…ehh, he chopped down a cherry tree–big deal! Abe Lincoln…he was good wrestler…cool, and he grew a beard when some little girl called him ugly…kind of interesting. But Ben…flying kites in lightning storms, and writing articles in newspapers as a little boy, and he invented firemen for goodness sake…not to mention giving us libraries–I’ve always loved books and libraries. So, for me as a young boy, Ben Franklin just shined above all the rest.

One score and ten years later–ish, I fell in love with history–and the Lord, and I began to research the birth or our nation and the many godly men who built it out of sweat, blood, tears, and above all else prayer. Back then, and still today, I’m someone who tends to save the best for last; whether it’s the favored morsel on my dinner plate or relaxing with a good movie or book at the end of the day. And I never rush right out to buy anything, no matter how much I want it…I’m not sure why, but anticipation trumps possession in my book. So I saved Ben for last–but it turned out I didn’t save the best for last…far from it. Surprised…what about all the things I just listed, aren’t they true? Yes they are, and sooooo many more. I held back on Ben because I just knew that he was going to turn out to be a mighty servant of God, one of the mightiest of a generation filled with mighty, selfless servants. And I assure you he was–but he wasn’t a child of God himself.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:12 ESV

But don’t take my word for it…read for yourself from Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography…here’s the link.

It is a very good read, and you’ll find that Ben Franklin did believe there was a creator God, and that people have immortal souls. He even prayed at times. But he discounted most of the Bible and he never accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior–or even acknowledged His divinity. So was he really a servant of God? My answer is yes. Here’s one of my favorite instances of old Ben being called in to help a bunch of those other mighty servants of God, to help right the ship when they had taken their eyes off the Lord.

It was at a meeting of the Continental Congress. They were gathered, and had been for some time, and they were struggling to even be civil to each other, drowning in a sea of doubt and discontent. At that point Dr. Franklin stood up and made everyone stop their bickering. Then he reprimanded them, reminding them that only prayer would see them through their trial, as it had so often before. Reading his autobiography I’m fairly certain Dr. Franklin felt he was merely taking advantage of the other men’s faith, but my Bible study leaves no doubt that God was the One really getting things done–using His servant, Ben.

This is a heartbreaking tale, muted somewhat by the passage of time, but still so sad…and far from an isolated case. Ask yourself this–how many ‘Ben Franklins’ do I know? Men and women who may not even acknowledge there is a God, but still do great things for our Lord every time we turn around. Did any names just pop into your head? Of course they did, and it’s probably a long list too. It’s very likely you can just turn your head to see one, or look out the window, walk down the street, or go into work. And sadly, there’s almost certainly at least one picture of a ‘Ben’ hanging on a wall somewhere in your house. These selfless, shining, but lost souls permeate our lives. And though their words and deeds so often imitate Christ, they vehemently resist Him. How can that be? I think the answer may be in some common traits they all tend to share with the original Benjamin Franklin. Traits that serve others well, but are deadly when it comes to seeing to their own interests.

The first thing you’re likely to notice about them is that they are usually incredibly bright–if only intelligence and wisdom went hand in hand. But I think their next common characteristic is their biggest downfall…they tend to be great problem solvers. Situations that demoralize the rest of us–can you say coronavirus, those are the same circumstances our ‘Ben Franklins’ live for…and throw themselves into heart, soul, mind and strength. If only we could get them to shift that focus to loving the Lord. We can, it certainly does happen. I’m related to a couple of redeemed ‘Franklins’, and have several others as close friends. But they’re a tough lot to bring to the cross. I think that’s because they are such good problem solvers, so they rarely feel the need to cry out to God like the rest of us do. Which brings us to the final, critical point of this post…risk factor.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:14 ESV

The original Ben Franklin was convinced he could earn his way into Heaven. To do it he came up with what he described as ‘a bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection’. Modern day ‘Bens’ may not go to that extreme, but they often think they can do the same. And I know a lot of other lost souls who simply refuse to accept that they are but a vapor, and that we’re all standing at the edge of eternity.

Trust me, I do not want to lose any of the people I talked about at the start of this blog…the one’s the CDC calls ‘high risk’. But if the Lord does call them home, the only ‘fall’ they’re going to take is into Jesus’ waiting arms. That would bring the heartache of separation–temporarily, but it’s not truly a risk. And it’s unavoidable anyway–we are all but a mist. In the blink of an eye even the youngest among us will stand before the Lord. No, the real ‘high risk’ people in these COVID-19 dominated times–and at all times, are our ‘Ben Franklins’, and everyone else who thinks they’ve got it all figured out, and that they don’t need Jesus. When they fall…it’s forever…into an eternal lake of fire.

I’ve had so many ‘Bens’ in my life…still do…I don’t want that to happen to them. I’ve reached out to them. I’ve tried to tell them about the Lord, just as I’m sure a lot of you have. Usually it’s like talking to a polite wall. A wall that nods and smiles, but if you try to lean on it too much it just moves away. And I think, ‘Ah well, maybe some day they’ll come around’. So, reluctantly, I watch them go on about their business. And I feel stuck, not knowing what to do…I don’t want to offend them. After all, I love them and I don’t want to risk hurting our relationship. So, I usually settle for trying to remember to pray more…but you know, day after day, year after year, it gets a little discouraging. Eventually, it just seems easier to hope God sends someone else, someone who’ll do a better job of reaching them than I can. And He is often faithful to do so.

But other times a goad like COVID-19 comes along. A goad that reminds me that there just might not be anybody else, and that ‘Ben’ could very well be fresh out of ‘some days’. And here’s the real pointy part of the goad…I have to ask myself…would the ‘Ben Franklins’ I know let a little thing like my not wanting to listen to them get in their way? Come on, let’s get serious…nothings going to stop them from doing whatever it takes to help me. So, even in this ‘hunkered down’, ‘social distanced’ world we’re stuck in at the moment, I know I have to get back to work…I need to chase down some ‘walls’ and see if I can finally break through them. I’m not sure exactly how to do that, I haven’t spent enough time on my knees yet, but the Lord does and He’s the One goading me, so I trust He’ll lead the way–where the Lord guides, He provides. Besides, trying to convince the Ben Franklins of this world that they need saving might be frustrating work…but it beats hoarding toilet paper.

May He that called you out of the world be faithful to guide your steps as He sends you back out into it,

Mike

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