Casandra Martin

“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” – CS Lewis

We worry about the world. We stand in a moment in which it seems that morals, common sense, and integrity have given way to violence, prejudice, and sin. The tide of selfishness and evil leaves us breathless as it crashes into our lives, attempting to uproot our homes and values. It is overwhelming. It is so tempting to draw a protective circle around our families and position ourselves far away from the battle. But, silence means Satan wins. Christians are never called to hide. Today, more than at any other time, we have the privilege and responsibility to speak healing truth into an increasingly fractured society.

Here are four truths that Christians need to speak with one voice into our neighborhoods, offices, towns, and families.

With respect, gentleness, and love:

1. God is God. You can deny him. You can revile Him. You can ignore him, but God is God. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is loving, and He is good. He is for us. He is pursuing each one of us. He sacrificed everything so we might be His.
2. Sin is sin. There is such a thing as right and wrong, good and evil, darkness and light. No matter what others might tell you about finding your own “truth”, there is an absolute standard that, like the North Star, helps us find our way through the darkness of this world.
3. The Gospel is grace. God’s goodness runs deeper than the world’s evil. No matter how bad it is, God is ready and willing to extend mercy and grace.
4. Jesus is the answer. We have a myriad of problems, but there is only one answer that will bring soul-deep healing to our hurts, anxieties, questions, divisions, and heartaches – Jesus. The cross is proof of not only His love, but His willingness to enter into the depth of our experience and open a way into joy.

My Jesus Resolution today is to speak truth and embrace progress. By necessity, I have to start with myself. No one needs to do an about-turn more than me. I need to humble myself before God. I need to acknowledge my sin. I desperately need grace. More than anything, I need Jesus. As God works on me, I am going to stand up and speak His truth into the frantic, hurting, even belligerent places of this world with words, actions, and presence. Here is the truth I want to proclaim with my life – Progress = Looking more like Jesus.