What The World Needs Now

Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light…Ephesians 5:7-8

When I was a little girl I remember hearing a song on the radio. The lyrics were simple, but that particular tune stuck in my mind and for years the minds of those heard it through the air waves. It seemed to provide the answer to all the upheaval that was represented in the world at that time. The lyrics went something like this; “What the world needs now, is love sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” The idea of “love” back when this song was so popular I suppose would be equivalent to what we hear today about tolerance, and relative truth. The world then as today was trying to buy into the notion that absolute truth and morality is harsh, hateful, and the cause of many of the problems in society and abroad. If we just love each other, we’ll all get along.

It should come as no surprise that the world (those who’ve rejected biblical truth and the message of the gospel) is trying to convince itself that man does not need God or His standard of right and wrong. Absolute truth is now hateful and bigoted. We’ve been conditioned to embrace the belief that love means, keep quiet and don’t judge because after all your truth may not be someone else’s. The greatest concern however is that the church is buying into this!

In the last forty years I’ve witnessed a radical shift among God’s people. Never has there been a time when Christians have been more concerned about blending in, than about standing out. Our pulpits are seeing a new generation of leaders who relate more to the congregation with “motivational” messages and the church is drinking it up. More and more the very people “called out of darkness into His marvelous light” are moving away from that sacred light.

The challenge for me, even as I write this is to stop being surprised at what the non-Christian world thinks about Jesus and become more concerned about my own response to who He is and what He requires of my life to follow Him.

What does the world need now? The love of God yes and absolutely! But the love of God that is expressed through His truth and on His terms. But the world also needs to see the fire rekindled in our witness as we allow the power of Christ in us to show itself as we resist the cultural denial of Christianity. May we live lives worthy of One who dwelt among us and who’s life was the Light and Life of men. May we walk in that great and glorious light as His children.