Proactive.
Now there's a word you hear a lot of these days, proactive. Just what does that word conjure up in your thoughts when you hear it? To me it means I'm going to actively do something rather than sit around hoping someone else might do it. If I take a proactive stance it's one that is advocating action towards something rather than inaction. Proactive is basically taking steps, taking action hoping to be ahead of the game so to speak, to perhaps even ward off something undesirable in the future. If I take a proactive step against insects invading my house I might lay down poison outside to prevent them from getting in. I might even get a few of those electronic pest control devices, I might also have on hand spray cans of insect control poison so I can be ready just in case they breach all my barriers I've set up. I might not wait until they've invaded to act but rather be prepared before they do and stay ready for what some might consider inevitable here in Southwest Florida. If I slack off and forget to renew the outside poison and the rain and wind along with the hot sun wear it away then I'm at a great risk for insect invasion. If my proactive steps cease then I'm setting myself up for disaster of the creepy crawly kind.
There is a lot to say for being proactive. I believe all of God's probation officers need to be proactive. You can't be one who forewarns of the impending end of probation if you're not doing the warning part. If the whole of the earths occupants are on probation and probation is almost up and your fate is to be decided based on your actions during probation, it's not time to fall asleep and grow lackadaisical. If those all around you risk their probation period coming to an end at any moment don't they need to know that they are on probation?
What? You think everyone automatically knows? Well, a lot of people do and surely most adults realize that they're eventually going to die and then their fate is decided, but most are under the impression that they'll be okay one way or another. Even those that proudly announce they're going to hell so to speak- going to the grave and they aren't going to be with Jesus in heaven when he returns- even they somehow think things will work out for them and life or rather life after life won't be such a bad thing. Some even truly believe they are living in life after death right now and it's as bad as things will ever get for them. More than a few understand that things won't be pleasant for them later on and so they are trying to make the best of things right here and now- the best of things meaning have as much fun and self-indulgance as possible because this is as good as it's gonna get for them. Cease the moment and live in it without thoughts for consequences. So yeah, a lot of people understand that there are choices to make and a lot want to put it off until later or just don't want to bother at all for one reason or another. Life's probation is real and we that believe in the reality of it are duty bound to be witnesses to that fact.
Jesus' entire ministry was spent preaching about eternal life in Him, by His grace and love. People came up to Him asking what they had to do to be saved, to have this eternal life He talked of and Jesus told them. Love God, love others. Jesus died preaching eternity in Him and His love.
1 John {1:1} That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; {1:2} (For the life was manifested, and we have seen
[it,] and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
{1:3} That which we have seen and heard declare we unto
you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ. {1:4} And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full.
Witnesses! Proactive declarer-s of Jesus' life and in Him life eternal.
1 John {5:5} Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
{5:6} This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus
Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is
the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
{5:7} For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are
one. {5:8} And there are three that bear witness in earth, the
spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in
one. {5:9} If we receive the witness of men, the witness of
God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath
testified of his Son. {5:10} He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God
hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. {5:11} And this is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
{5:12} He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not
the Son of God hath not life. {5:13} These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God. {5:14} And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask
any thing according to his will, he heareth us: {5:15} And if
we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that
we have the petitions that we desired of him.
3 John {1:5} Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
{1:6} Which have borne witness of thy charity before the
church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a
godly sort, thou shalt do well: {1:7} Because that for his
name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
{1:8} We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be
fellowhelpers to the truth.
Fellowhelpers to the truth! Witnesses!
Rev. {1:4} John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace
[be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which
was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits
which are before his throne; {1:5} And from Jesus Christ,
[who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the
dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood
Jesus Christ the faithful witness! He alone has been the perfect witness of life in God, of life everlasting in the Father.
Rev. {3:14} And unto the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful
and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God
The faithful and true witness! Jesus!
Rev. {20:4} And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years.
Beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.
Killed witnessing of Jesus, killed for witnessing the word of God.
Is probation a serious thing? Things don't get more serious than probation and realizing that life now is our probation and life soon will be when probation is over and our fates decided. May our fates be such that we are declared witnesses of Jesus, faithful witnesses, even if that means death because we hold fast to that witness and never cease.
May the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be ours now and forever as we seek to witness of Him, for Him, in Him as probation for the world quickly runs out. May we through the Holy Spirit remain stedfast in Christ's love no matter what we are called to endure whether it's something life threatening or whether it is to remain stedfast as a witness to those who are around us who say they love us. No matter what road we are called to travel let it be forever the road that leads to the cross, to eternal life in our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Amen.
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