Many of us have lived our lives up until this point without considering if the beliefs and tradition that has been passed down to us from our ancestors is even valid and worth continuing. Fear keeps us in a cycle of repetition, when deep inside there is something tugging at our hearts indicating to us that the way things have always been must change. It takes courage to look at your life, your family, your beliefs, and consider whether or not there needs to be tangible adjustments to the way you live, especially if you find yourself in a place where you are going through the motions with no fulfillment. Why continue down a path simply because it is what is expected of you to do? To live your life in this manner will only lead you to a life of regret, resentment, and bitterness.
Personally, I have come to a place of accepting that how I envision life for myself and for my family in some ways contradicts the way that I have been shown as the model for living life. I have always been taught via doctrine and orthopraxy that family must be sacrificed in the service of God. In the same breath, I have heard many times that family is the first ministry. In my estimation, if my family is my first ministry, then they are who the majority of my time, energy, and resources should be poured into. Unfortunately, I have never truly seen this example lived out. I have both seen and experienced the reality of the opposite, and I am unwilling to continue down this path. The cycle must be broken.
There is a deep prophetic burden that is welling up in my spirit as it pertains to the state of Western Christendom. As I ride through the streets of my city and witness the multiplicity of beautiful edifices that are inaccessible throughout the week, I have a horrifying sense that something is deeply wrong. Matthew 25 gives powerful insight into what truly exemplifying the Kingdom looks like:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” - Matthew 25:34-40 ESV
This passage summarizes what every ministry should truly look like; feeding the hungry, loving the stranger, clothing the poor, caring for the sick, and helping to rehabilitate those in prison. This is true Kingdom work! Unfortunately, tradition has many churches stuck in the routine of doing church and not being the church. My heart yearns to see the true nature of the Kingdom to permeate the nation in such a way that the very judgement of the Most High will be abated. I pray that the spirit of religion and tradition would be destroyed so that the Kingdom can arise. It all starts with us each individually making the decision to break free from tradition in our own homes and teach a new way of living to our children. We must be the change we want to see.
