by Judy Wallace
This was my conundrum as I prepared for this one. I thought, and stewed, and prayed, and thought some more. Then the day before I sat down to write, I slid into my car after running errands, turned on The Message XM station, and started to drive. The very next song played had the above title, “What Are You Waiting For?” I knew immediately that God had spoken to me with this question and I thought He might to you as well.
How would you answer this question when it comes to going and telling about Jesus? When it has to do with evangelism? When it deals with sowing seeds of truth? When it addresses building relationships etc? No matter your answer, it will be an excuse unless you are already following His direction to go and tell.
When I got home, I looked up the lyrics to the song. There was one phrase that really caught my attention. “What if we could be the light that no one could ignore? What are we waiting for?”
Be the light that no one could ignore.
BE means to show the characteristics of someone or something.
When I think of the characteristic of Jesus Christ, I think of Philippians 2. In this passage, we see His humility and obedience. Paul begins with several rhetorical ‘ifs’. He is basically asking, “Aren’t you encouraged by belonging to Christ? Don’t you feel comforted by His love? Is there not any fellowship between you and the Holy Spirit? Is your heart not more tender and compassionate because you belong to Him?” He then states that if these things are true then they shouldn’t be doing things out of selfishness or conceit but instead put others first and look to the interest of others instead of their own. Same goes for us and those things can’t be ignored so ‘what are you waiting for?’
LIGHT is the spiritual symbol of God’s presence and truth.
Jesus called Himself ‘The Light of the World.’ Then at another time He said, ”Ye are the light of the world.” How are both possible? He answered that in John 8:12 when He said, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” Paul concurred in Ephesian 5:8 when he said, “But now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” We are the light because we are in Him and He is in us. That can’t be ignored by a very dark world so ‘what are you waiting for?’
IGNORE means to pay no attention or refuse to notice.
It is impossible to ignore kindness, compassion, joy, friendliness. It is impossible to ignore a smiling face and pleasant attitude. It is impossible to ignore helpfulness and a servant heart. All of these open the door to going and telling.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?