Acts of Random Kindness

Recently I read an article that started my mind working. It was an article about a family from Georgia that had sold their house, bought an RV, and hit the road. There mission was to do as many Acts of Random Kindness they could get their hands on. They fitly named their trip The ARK Tour. The ARK obviously an acronym for... well, you get the picture. While reading this article I was struck by the courage of this family, six in all, to do what seems to be a completely ludicrous thing. I was also struck by the similarity between what they were doing and what I am doing and I started to wonder, "God, are you working a theme here? This isn't just a coincidence is it?" It's not that I am thinking I can work side by side with this family, or even have an opportunity to meet them face to face. I am thinking, however, that maybe God is working on the hearts of many more Americans to be old school type missionaries in their own country. Think about that... missionaries in the U.S.

I read another article a few years ago about how churches in Africa and Korea are now sending missionaries to the U.S. It talked about how Christians in these parts of the world are seeing the U.S. as one of the biggest mission fields in the world. One pastor even said his heart was so strong for the U.S. because the American churches had had such a strong heart for his country a half a century ago. I am amazed, and to be honest, a little worried that other countries that we have been missionaries to in the past are sending people over here as missionaries to us. I wondered why this was?

After thinking for some time as to why this was I turned the TV on and it all became clear to me. On the news it talked about violence, murders, rapes, child abduction, and natural disaster all in the same half our news program. It started to become more and more real to me that these other countries are hearing the same news and seeing the same horrible stories about cities in the U.S. I started to realize that these people have seen first hand how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed their homes and villages and even sometimes their governments. They can testify about the goodness of God from first hand experience and are now seeing same problems here in the U.S. It worries me to see where our country is going. You can't blame it on one president or another, or on this political party or that one. The truth is that as a nation we are turning toward hate and violence at a faster rate than we are toward Jesus Christ and the peace that He offers. I am reminded about the reality of what a people without Jesus can accomplish.

Through all this I have had a renewed desire to take the Gospel to the world. Not the "clean yourself up first" Gospel, but the "come as you are" Gospel. The very same Gospel that Jesus taught when He walked the earth. See, if there is one thing the Old Testament can show us, it is that no matter how many laws you pass, it WILL NOT bring a nation closer to God. The truth is that the only hope we have in this country is Jesus. A changed heart will go a lot further than a changed law. Jesus taught that God looks at the heart and not the actions. The law only deals with the actions and not the heart. To change the heart is to change the actions. The only way to change this nation is to change it's heart, and the only one who can change it's heart, is not a politician, but God Himself. The only way He can do that is if His people get out and do His work. That is a love work, not a hateful and judgemental work. I hope you can see, this is what the missionaries from Africa and Korea see, and what the family from Georgia sees. This is what they are coming here to remind us of. Jesus is the only way to change the heart of America and change the path of destruction we are on. It's time for the church to focus next door. Look to your neighbors and you will find need. Look to your neighborhood and you will find hurt and pain. Many times we really don't need to look any further than our bathroom mirror to find someone who needs help. Let's be love minded and others oriented. Let's show Gods love to those around us. Let's become a society of local missionaries serving local people.

Not everone is called to do what I have done, or what the Georgia family has done, but we are all called to do something. That something is to take the Gospel to the world. But before we can do that, we need to understand the Gospel in our own lives. To do that we need more time in the Bible, more time in prayer, and more time in a community of believer (local church). Let God to a work in your heart so you can do a work from God's heart.


If you would like to learn more about the family mentioned in this blog you can visit their website:
www.arktour.org