Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A Call to Get Uncomfortable

Throughout this semester I have been reading through the book Radical by David Platt slowly but surely. It has challenged me to change the way I live, to live outside my comfort zone. It would be redundant to say that in some ways this is an uncomfortable idea to me, but as I read Platt's words and reflect on scripture there is something within me that yearns to fulfill this challenge, some part of me that desires that uncomfortable living. Kinda weird, I know. So the past few weeks I have been trying to work out all of this that is floating around in my mind & my heart. Then this morning as I'm driving I hear a song come on the radio. It seems like a good song, but unfortunately I park my car and have to get out to go to class before the song is over. So I store away a couple lines of the lyrics in my head and resolve to look the song up on the internet during my lunch break. These are the lyrics I found when I looked up the song, and they touched my heart in a powerful way.

In my own little world it hardly ever rains.
I've never gone hungry, always felt safe.
I got some money in my pockey, shoes on my feet in my own little world
Population: me.
I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church.
I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give till it hurts.
And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see.
It's easy to do when it's population: me.

What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose I could be living right now outside my own little word?

Stopped at a red light, looked out my window.
I saw a cardboard sign
Said "Help this homeless widow",
And just above that sign was the face of a human.
I thought to myself, "God, what have I been doing?"
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye.
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money then drove on through,
And my own little world reached population: two.

Father, break my heart for what breaks yours.
Give me open hands and open doors.
Put your light in my eyes, and let me see
That my own little world is not about me.

What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose I could be living right now?
I don't wanna miss what matters. I wanna be reaching out.
Show me the greater purpose so I can start living right now outside my own little world.

~My Own Little World by Matthew West

Let these words stink in even though it will be very uncomfortable. It is when our hearts are penetrated with the need of others and the compassion of Christ that we are moved to drastic action.

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