The Hole in our Gospel

I finished reading "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns a few weeks ago and it was such an amazing book. It's one that I want to read over again, just to let it all sink in. What I loved about this book is that it's a true story about a man (the author) who was living the American dream. He was an executive of Lenox, making multi-millions, when a friend called him and suggested that he applied for a position coming up as CEO of World Vision. He thought his friend was crazy. He was a believer, attended church every Sunday, but to give up his salary, move his family, leave his life as he knew it, and travel to third world countries to help the poor? He immediately said no way! But, God had other plans. You see, God does not call us to live the American dream. He calls us to help the needy, orphans, and widows. He calls us to BE the church, not just attend one. I won't give away all the details, but you must read this book because the way God worked to get him to accept that position was AMAZING!!!

Here are some of the important facts/notes I learned (most quoted from the book):

God expects everything of us. Not just an hour on Sunday. Not just a few minutes of our precious time. Everything!!! Living out our faith privately was never meant to be an option. Belief, worship, personal morality, and Christian community is not enough. It's so much more than a private transaction between God and us, or an insurance policy we can tuck away in our drawer, or our ticket to the next life.

God's love was meant to spread, but not through coercion. It is to be demonstrated, not dictated. The whole gospel means much more than the personal salvation of individuals. It means a social revolution.

Career advancement, a growing bank account, our spouses and children...they may be good, but become stumbling blocks when they begin to possess us, when they divide our hearts and compromise our commitment to the Lord. When asked if you are willing to be open to God's will for your life, you may not even realize how controlling they had become until then.

We would much rather believe that the only things needed for our salvation are saying the right words and believing the right things, not living lives that are characterized by Christ's concern for the poor. I thought this was such an interesting way to look at Jesus' words.....the author changes them a bit to show what most of our lives look like:

For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved.

It is not our fault people are poor, but is is our responsibility to do something about it. If we were on an deserted island with 9 others and God gave us all we could ever need, would we hoard it for ourselves or share it with the others? How would they feel if we kept it for ourselves? This is such a great quote that addresses the most asked question about why God allows suffering:

Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it.

Well, why don't you ask him?

Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same thing.

Anonymous

Isn't that so powerful?!! God has given us all the resources to potentially solve every single world crisis. It's not that He allows these things, it's just that we are too selfish to use what we have to do what He has commanded us to do! We cannot say that we do not know about the suffering. We cannot claim that we don't have the means to help. We too will one day stand before God and give an accounting. It's a sin of omission, not a sin of commission. A sin of commission would be something like murder or adultery..........things we do that we know are wrong. Sins of omission are things that we know God has commanded us to do, yet we don't do them. They are still sins and one day we all will have to account for why we cared more about our American dream than we cared about those that Jesus commanded us to care for!

I just cannot say enough good things about this book. Reading it will really open your eyes! I'm warning you though.........if you are still trying to live in denial, saying, "well Lord, I didn't know that I was supposed to do that," then you might not want to read this book, because you will have NO excuses after reading it! It is just so thought provoking and is such a great tool for self-evaluation, based on the Bible. Are we really doing what the Gospels command us to do or is there a hole in our Gospel?

James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I ask myself all the time, what is it that God wants me to do? What is my calling? Well, here it is plainly written in the Bible! If we want to do what God our Father accepts as pure religion, we should be looking after those in distress and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. We cannot judge ourselves based on things of the world, saying well at least I do better than so-in-so. I honestly believe that most of us are living our lives exactly opposite of James 1:27. Myself included, we look after ourselves to make sure we don't become distressed and we have totally become accepting of the things of this world. What do you think?