A loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church - Part 2

To this we might asked, "What is so radical about what you've just said?" You are right. It sounds 'ordinary' to us and it should be the norm for us, followers of Christ, but we are not really there yet(that is true at least for myself). Consider this:"A young man in Bible school offered to help David Wilkerson years ago when he was ministering on the streets of New York City. Wilkerson asked how much time he spent in prayer. The young man estimated about 20 minutes a day. Wilkerson told him, "Go back young man, Go back for a month and pray for two hours a day, every day for 30 days. When you have done that, come back. Come back, and I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence, and danger. If I sent you out now on 20 minutes a day, I'll be sending a soldier into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed."

How much time do we actually spend praying(talking, pleading & listening) to God? Then someone says, "I spend 16 hours a day praying and doing nothing else!" Will we applaud this person for merely praying? I think not. I think as much as we strive to be radical for Jesus, we must not become extremists that have ideas that are far too lopsided. Praying without reading the word of God and without practising what the word says is not balanced nor radical for Christ in the truest sense; even if it meant the person prayed for 16 hours in one go.

How about someone who comes along and say, "I spend most of my time praying. But I also spend time reading the word of God and practising what it says although the ratio for the former is greater than the latter two." Will you then criticise or judge the person by saying, "You lazy bum! If you spend most of your time praying, who is going to reach out to those in the corporate world? Quit your miserable part time job and go get a real job!" I think too often we are guilty of judging because of our own bias. The above is exaggerated but there are cases that seemed to warrant a 'judgement' and for that, I am equally guilty of. I think having an open and balanced mindset is important.

No one should say "Marketplace ministry is the most effective way of reaching out to the lost" and hence neglect the jobless and marginalised. Nor should anyone say "We must help and give to the poor. They 'deserved' the gospel more than the rich" and hence neglect the people in the corporate world. The church must strike a balance in reaching out to both the rich and the poor because both parties need help and both parties are spiritually lost. Granted that some churches emphasize one over the other or focus more on one type, the church must still play its role of loving both parties wherever it is placed. This is similar for the individual. A person might spend more time praying but that does not excuse him for not reading the bible, doing good deeds and evangelising. There is no "Either...Or..." but "All" when it comes to what Christ has commanded us to obey and this is what I meant by being balanced. No one should speak critically of an individual or a church that is devoting more time towards certain areas of ministry unless they have become so extreme that they only do that and dropped everything else that Christ has commanded us and expected us to do.