by Joyce Meyer
My heart has been stretched and challenged to exhaustion trying to come up with answers for those who exist in the midst of some of the worst poverty-stricken environments, but miraculously, as you sit among those who have nothing and situations look hopeless, you do get such a powerful sense of GOD’s grace being right in the midst of these wonderful people. Even as they struggle and strain to continue the survival journey, God shines forth again. I have found many “prisoners of hope” as it says in Zechariah 9:12 (I LOVE THAT THOUGHT)… who simply and yet wholeheartedly believe and KNOW that God alone is their answer and provider.
My personal quest, to love the Lord and to worship Him with my whole life, is the highest priority for me in my spiritual life… seeking Him, loving Him, and serving Him. Learning the weightiness of a lifestyle of worship, the value of His presence, and His amazing grace is an indescribable gift and we will certainly need all of eternity to express an adequate THANK YOU for all He has done and continues to do. The learned discipline to bring a song of faith and exult Jesus in the midst of a battle has been one of the great lessons that I have endeavoured to learn in my heart of hearts, but my continued lesson is about what more the Lord is actually requiring of us through worship. And I continually hear His heartbeat throughout the Scriptures on making sure that worship is more than the songs we sing, but as lives poured out, desperate to be His hands and feet on the planet today.
Many years ago, I visited some beautiful African children in an AIDS hospice, all of whom were orphaned, and yet all of whom were filled with the enthusiasm of people who had HOPE. They stood and sang for me… ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, to which I was so challenged and inspired as their little voices filled the atmosphere with life and joy. An unforgettable moment, and an unforgettable reminder of the power of the WORD of God in our lives.
Hebrews 13:15 says this: “Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.” Verse 16 then goes on to say, “Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Singing a God song, joining in the great anthem of eternity, is one of the great joys of life here on Earth. Empowering, defining, we are fueled in His presence to live out the great commission… fueled with our hands outstretched to heaven… and then readied with our hands presented in a stance ready to serve. As Augustine said, “Our lives should be a HALLELUJAH FROM HEAD TO TOE.”
However, worship in song alone is only a starting point when it comes to what is required by the Maker of heaven and earth. Over forty times we are instructed to sing new songs, and even more so are we invited to bring offerings and costly obedience before the Lord, but about 2,000 times there are references to being actively involved as our LIVES are presented as an offering, by looking after those who are struggling in various areas of life. It’s good to remember, though, that without times of prayer, meditation on the Word of God, and those tender, stunning moments of a deepening relationship with Christ… our acts of service can easily become simply “works based,” with the agenda driving the service being about us, rather than being about those who we are serving.
Deliberate times of worship definitely position your heart to be confronted, to yield and be transformed in His presence. Since this whole journey of the Christian walk is a journey of the heart, then you can see why learning to WORSHIP with all you are is a critical step in the process. God has always desired TRUTH when it comes to serving Him… and truth is decided in the framework of your heart, which is why the care and well-being of our hearts is of premium importance where the Lord is concerned.
“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life”
(Prov. 4:23 NKJV).
I will never forget the challenge that pastor Bill Hybels from Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago gave to us a few years ago, saying that as Christians and Christian leaders, it is not good enough to talk about injustice and watch DVDs about it, he said that we must allow poverty to touch us, to involve us… that the smells and realities of survival become a sense that we never conveniently forget, or even just send money to and feel like we’ve done our bit. But to be called to action by the great love of God—that we share His love and His life, and that we trust Him to make a way, well, this is the journey we are all called to walk. And this is where our love in action, our worship with our whole lives comes into play.
“And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me”
(Matt. 18:5).
“Who is going to look after my babies?” cries the dying mother, knowing that her children will soon be joining the other multiplied millions across the earth looking for a new mum. I have watched friends with cancer cry out the same prayer. I cannot think of a greater break of the heart, or a deeper groan uttered in the darkest of times. I want to scream out to her. “WE WILL.” This is definitely an area where we roll our sleeves up, swallow hard, pray and BELIEVE, and step out in faith. You don’t have to live in the third world to find orphans who need a family, or lonely people looking for friendship; each of us lives in cities where children are tossed around government systems that try their best to meet a need that we, the Church, can help meet.
I love the Church… she is so diverse and truly rising across the planet with a new sense of confidence and radiance. But the Church at her finest is when she first and foremost is loving God, with all that she is… and then the Church stands with arms outstretched to serve a hurting community and a broken world, connecting people to Jesus and all that this means. Not judging or criticizing the poor, but simply LOVING… and loving is costly, and is a verb… not a noun. Together, we truly can stand in the gap for those who have no voice… to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength… AND to love our neighbours as ourselves. Truly stunning!
So how do we tackle this seeming giant of hopelessness? How do we go about opening a door to those stuck in this dangerous prison?
NONE of us can tackle this on our own. Even the world’s most intelligent and interested philanthropists NEED others and the expertise of varied teams of experts who work together for the greater good to have maximum benefit for the most amount of people. But we DO need to make a start; we might sponsor a child, be a voice for those broken in our communities, help some way if you are able in the foster system (e.g., emergency care, short-term or long-term care, weekend buddy systems), raise money for a charity or a need that is in your own heart, get behind the initiatives in your own church and get that body moving, live a little more simply—being mindful of living to give, not just to spend… the list is endless.
But equally important, let’s make sure that our own hearts and lives are fueled and alive for whatever opportunity presents itself on a daily basis, whether global or local… just like the story of the good Samaritan, who went beyond the status quo of the day, and actually went out of his way to bring help and answers where others just simply walked by. This Samaritan was MOVED with compassion… and not only was he moved emotionally, but he responded with action.
And may I say that if you are going through a season where you feel you need to be ministered to, rather than being the one giving out, then be encouraged. Surround yourself with an environment of worship and praise, fill your home with music that inspires your heart, fill your car with discs of the Word of God, get around family, church, and community where you know you will be nourished and encouraged… and allow the Spirit of the Lord to fill you continually from the inside out. Whether you need healing, or a financial breakthrough, or a relational miracle… our God is able. Allow yourself to fall into the safe arms of our Lord and our strength, for He will never leave you or forsake you; to trust Him is the greatest joy and hope tha
t you have. But I leave you with this great reminder… to LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength AND love your neighbor as you love yourself. YOU are completely treasured and valued. Never forget it!
With all my heart,
Darlene Z.
The journey of the heart is one of the most complex mysteries there is—the elation and the sadness, the hoping and the waiting, and for many, the unutterable disappointment that makes us not want to feel anything anymore. When we don’t understand the great love of God meant for us to lean into and find strength in, our hearts find other ways to cope, to manage, to survive even the harshest of realities. And this is where many people find themselves today, from the richest to the poorest, as poverty of the heart does not discriminate in its search to find a home.
As Darlene Zschech has reminded us, the prophet Isaiah talked about a radical Love Revolution in Isaiah 61:11, as he described a day in which love would result in people finding their due justice and Jesus would make a way through the wilderness: “For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so surely the Lord will cause righteousness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word].”
More Than Just a Great Idea
A Love Revolution is not only a great idea but a necessity if we are going to see some of the tragic injustices in the world today turned around, including the heaviest tragedy of all—the tragedy of humanity’s broken heart. Psalm 27:3 says: “Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.” This is what needs to happen in the hearts of all mankind.
CHAPTER 2
The Root of the Problem
The key to happiness is not being loved, but having someone to love.
Anonymous
The root of a thing is its very source—its beginning, its underlying support. Roots are usually underground. And because of that we often ignore them and pay attention only to what we see on the surface. A person with a toothache often needs a root canal. The root of the tooth is decayed and must be dealt with or the tooth will never stop hurting. The root of the tooth cannot be seen, but you know it is there because the pain is severe. The world is hurting, and that pain will never stop unless we get to the root of the problems that plague individuals and societies. I believe that root is selfishness.
I’ve tried to think of a problem that is not rooted in selfishness, and I haven’t been able to come up with even one. People think nothing of destroying someone else’s life to get what they want or what feels good to them. In a word, selfishness is the source of all the world’s troubles.
I’ve tried to think of a problem that is not rooted in selfishness, and I haven’t been able to come up with even one.
Selfishness Has Thousands of Faces
Selfishness has thousands of faces, and perhaps that is precisely why we don’t recognize it for what it is. We see it in babies who scream when they don’t get what they want and in children who take other children’s toys. It is evident in our desire to look better than others or to perform better than they do. Selfishness is all about being first in everything, and while there is nothing wrong with wanting to do our best, it is wrong to enjoy seeing others fail so we can succeed.
I believe that all forms of selfishness are bad and that they cause problems. In this section, I want to call your attention to three specific types of selfishness common in the world today and to the negative results they produce.
Sexual Abuse Ann is thirteen years old. Her father tells her she is a woman now and that it is time for her to do what women do. When he is finished showing her what it means to be a woman, she feels ashamed, afraid, and dirty. Although her father assures her that what he does is a good thing, she wonders why he demands that she keep it a secret and why it makes her feel so bad. As the years go by and her father repeatedly molests and rapes her, Ann shuts down emotionally so she does not have to feel the pain any longer. Ann’s father has stolen her childhood, her virginity, her innocence, and, without intervention from God, he will have stolen her life—all to get what he wanted.
We are sickened by the incest cases we hear of, but the truth is that 90–95 percent of all incest cases go unreported. I was sexually abused by my father for many years. I tried two different times to tell someone what was happening to me and, since they did not help me, I suffered alone until I was an adult and finally began to share my story and receive healing from God. My father died at eighty-six years of age without ever being formally punished for his crime. The people he worked with, and went to parties and picnics with, never knew he had been raping his daughter since she was a very small girl.
We see what people do and are quick to judge them, but we seldom know the root causes of their behavior. Many women we judge as being “problems in society” are incest victims. For example,
66 percent of all prostitutes are victims of sexual child abuse.
36.7 percent of all women in prison in the U.S. were abused as children.
One-third of all abused and neglected children will later abuse and neglect their own children.
94 percent of all sexual abuse victims are under the age of twelve the first time they are abused.
The pain caused in our world by incest and sexual abuse alone is shocking, and all of it began because people were selfish and did not care who got hurt as long as they got what they wanted.
Of course, you probably would not kill, steal, lie, or commit violent acts against children, but chances are you are still selfish in certain ways. If we dare to excuse our own selfishness by pointing the finger at those whose crimes are worse than our own, we will never successfully deal with the problems in society today. Each one of us must take responsibility to deal with our own selfish behavior, no matter what level it is on or how we express it.
Greed Selfishness frequently takes the form of greed. Greed is the spirit that is never satisfied and always wants more. Our society today is definitely consumer-oriented. I am amazed when I drive around and see all the strip malls that exist and the ones being constructed. Everywhere we look something is being offered for purchase. Stuff, stuff, and more stuff—and it is all an illusion. It promises an easier life and more happiness, but for many people all it creates is oppressive debt.
The pressure and temptation to purchase more and more just keeps us rooted in selfishness. But, the good news is that we can change if we really want to. Let’s learn to buy what we need and some of what we want and then let’s learn to give a lot of our possessions, especially ones we are no longer using, to someone who has less than we do. Let us practice giving until it is the first and most natural thing that we do every day of our lives. For the majority of people this would truly be a revolutionary way to live.
The Bible says that the love of money is a root of all evil (see 1 Tim. 6:10). The only reason people love money and will do almost anything to get it is simply that they feel money can get them whatever they want. They believe it can purchase happiness. People regularly kill, steal, and lie for money—and this is all rooted in the disease of selfishness. I recently read an article by a famous actor who said that people believe if they have all the things they want then they will be happy, but it is a false promise. He went on to say that he had everything a man could possibly want and had discovered it still did not make him happy because once a person has reached their goal of owning all the world offers they are still left with themselves.
Divorce Selfishness is also the root cause of divorce. People often get married with the wrong ideas of what marriage should be like. Many of us decide that our spouse is someone who should keep us happy, and when that doesn’t happen, the war begins. How different things would be if we got married and set our minds to do all we could do to keep our partner happy!
Right now you may be thinking, I am not about to do that because I know I would
be taken advantage of. In my earlier years I would have agreed. But after having lived almost a full lifetime, I believe the Bible is true after all. It teaches that love never fails (see 1 Cor. 13:8). It also says that whatever a man sows, “that and that only” is what he will reap (Gal. 6:7). If I believe the Bible, and I do, then I believe that I am in charge of the harvest I receive in my life, because it is based on the seeds I sow. If we sow mercy we reap mercy; if we sow kindness we will reap kindness.
I Was Always on My Mind
When I look back over the forty-two years Dave and I have been married, I am appalled at how selfish I have been, especially in the early years. I can honestly say I did not know any better. In the house where I grew up, all I ever saw was selfishness and I had nobody to teach me differently. Had I known how to be a giver instead of a taker, I am sure the early years of my marriage would have been much better than they were. Because of God in my life, I have seen things turn around and old wounds have been healed, but I wasted a lot of years that I can’t get back.
In stark contrast to the way I was raised, Dave grew up in a Christian home. His mother was a godly woman who prayed and taught her children to give. As a result of his upbringing, Dave developed qualities I had never seen in my entire life when I met him. His example has been amazingly valuable to me. Had he not been very patient, which is an aspect of love, I am sure our marriage would not have lasted, but I thank God it did. And after forty-two years of marriage, I can honestly say it gets better all the time. I am happier now than I have ever been because I put more into the relationship than I ever have. I really enjoy seeing Dave do things he enjoys, and that’s quite a contrast to all the years I was angry every time I didn’t get “my way.”