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A Sense of Urgency |
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by Ralph I. Tilley
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The word urgent is one of those words that has almost lost its meaning in our modern vocabulary because of its overuse. I have grown numb to receiving direct marketing appeals with writing in bold type on the envelope: "Urgent: Open Immediately!" I never do; I have learned that it is not urgent—not for me at least. The term urge, and its cognates, are used in a variety of ways and contexts. Hockey coach Ken Hitchcock was recently asked by a reporter if he felt the next play-off game for the Philadelphia Flyers was a must-win situation. The coach's reply? "The sense of urgency from us has got to be tremendous." A few months ago, U. S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sent a memorandum to top Pentagon officials on war ideas against international terrorism. In an interview the secretary said the purpose of the memo was to "inject a sense of urgency." When we say something is urgent, what do we mean? Used as an adjective, strictly speaking, if something is urgent it requires immediate action or attention; it is imperative and important. If, on the other hand, we use the verbal form—urge—we do so because we want to see immediate or important action taken by a person or persons. Rarely is anything of value accomplished apart from a sense of urgency. Speaking to this subject, motivational speaker Charles Jones writes, "Perhaps my findings are not the only solution, but with all my heart I believe the fires of greatness in our heart can be kept aglow only after we develop a sense of urgency and importance for what we are doing." Jones continues: "I mean a sense of urgency to the extent that we feel it is a matter of life and death; and it is a matter of life and death, for in growing we are alive and in quitting we are dying in a sense. If you don't believe this, talk to anyone who has lost the sense of urgency of getting things done and has been drifting in complacency, mediocrity and failure. If you are without a sense of urgency in your work, you know what I mean." That's powerful, isn't it? But there's more. "A sense of urgency is that feeling that lets you know yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow never comes. TODAY is in your hands. It lets you know that shirking today's task will add to wasted yesterdays and postponing today's work will add to tomorrow's burden. The sense of urgency causes you to accomplish what today sets before you. Thank God for the sense of urgency that can change a dull, shabby existence into a sparkling life." Then Jones concludes by urging: "Right now, ask God to give you a sense of urgency. Believe that He did, and then act accordingly."1 I'm not much for the stereotypical motivational speaker, but I must say, "That's motivational!" Do you have a sense of urgency, my friend—about anything? What about? Temporal concerns? Well, to be sure, if your roof's leaking, someone needs to have a sense of urgency! But let's talk about some issues that are both basic and have far-reaching spiritual implications. Let's see what God thinks is urgent. The Greek word that is translated into the English as urge (with its cognates) in the New Testament, occurs some 109 times. The NIV translators used a variety of terms to translate parakaleo: urge, encourage, appeal, and a good many others. In confining our overview of this truth to the letters of the apostle Paul, let's note just three concerns that God says we Christians should have a sense of urgency about. Urgent: Give yourself totally to God! "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."2 Following an extensive discourse with respect to the believer's position in Christ and the failure of Israel to accept the Lord Jesus, Paul exhorts his readers to make a full consecration to God, unlike Israel of old. While some believe the apostle uses "bodies" here in a metaphorical/spiritual sense, many Bible students don't—me included. As evangelicals, we believe—or should, if we don't—in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, the 66 books comprising the authoritative Word of God the Bible. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired specific writers to select God-breathed words; therefore, the specific words of Scripture are important. While Bible scholars and translators differ as to how some words and phrases should be rendered, nevertheless all evangelicals believe each word in the Word of God has significance (this is why biblical word studies are so helpful). In the following verse (Romans 12:2) Paul addresses the subject of mind renewal; however, in this verse he calls for a total consecration of our bodies to God. Dear friend in Christ, have you done so? Have you offered your body to God as a living sacrifice, as opposed to the Old Covenant dead sacrifices? This matter of a total consecration of our body to God is a New Testament principle and mandate for every believer. Why? Because the Christian's body is the dwelling place of God, and God will not make his home where His dwelling place is being defiled by fleshly contaminants. The authentic disciple of the Lord Jesus is never guilty of saying, "This is my body, I can do anything with it I want!" No, the follower of Jesus has fully embraced the teaching of Scripture regarding the sanctification of the body: "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body." As Christians, we should exercise great charity and extend wide liberty to our fellow believers with respect to how they understand and apply this truth in their own lives. However, where God's Word is clear, we should be clear in applying it. God's Word is clear, for example, about certain sexual activities that are sinful and unacceptable for the Christian. Furthermore, while the Bible doesn't mention by name specific unacceptable modern-day products that can harm our bodies, it does provide us with a standard for evaluating such products: for example, 2 Corinthians 7:1: "let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Whatever "contaminates" the body is off-limits for the believer. Have you made a complete consecration of your body to God? The Holy Spirit says this is an urgent matter! Urgent: Pray for your pastor! "I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."3 While there are many worthy things you can, and should do, for your spiritual overseer, there is nothing more important than earnestly interceding to God on behalf of your pastor. Just as Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses while he overlooked the battlefield, it is a blessed man of God who has a select few who faithfully cry out to God on their behalf. Even an apostle felt this need—thus his call for urgency! While much could be said and written about the lack of pastors praying fervently for their people, here we address a different issue: people praying for their shepherds. As Paul noted, spiritual leaders are in a "struggle." It's a struggle against the flesh, the world and Satan. It's a struggle against lukewarm, indifferent believers and obstinate, carnal church members. It's a struggle against entrenched, unspiritual power brokers; and a struggle against worldly- minded church leaders and office holders. But in reality, it's not a struggle against people—against flesh and blood—but "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."4 Every God-called spiritual overseer is opposed. He is opposed because he has been called to lead people from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God's dear Son. He is opposed because he is called by God to call his flock to a holy walk and lifestyle. He is opposed because he is not interested in overseeing a worldly church program that fails in winning people to Christ and build them up in the most holy faith. He is opposed because he holds the leaders of the church to a high biblical standard of leadership. He is opposed because he will not show partiality to the rich and worldly members of the church. He is opposed because He loves God with all of His heart and has a passion to see every other believer do the same. Now any pastor who leads in this way will need the prayers of God's faithful few or he won't survive and the church won't thrive. The Holy Spirit says this is an urgent matter! Urgent: Excel in love! "Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more."5 The Thesssalonian Church must have been some church. How is that? Because Paul said they loved each other so much that he didn't need to address the subject. He was content to simply write: "Yet we urge you . . . to do so more and more"; or, in the language of an alternate reading: "to excel still more."6 Excel in love! Clearly, the Holy Spirit views Christians relating to one another in agape love as an urgent matter. This love is more than a feeling—it is an attitude, an action. It is the one true identifying and distinguishing mark of every disciple of Jesus: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."7 Are we wearing this mark well? How many Christians wear a cross around their neck but fail to consistently wear the mark of love? How many Christians display an ichthus on their vehicles but fail to wear the mark of love? No, this is not a diatribe against wearing a cross or an ichthus—that's a personal issue. But neither of these is God's distinguishing mark for the believer. God's mark is love—the same love we see in Jesus: compassionate, courageous, merciful, persevering, selfless, patient, humble, genuine love. It's a lot easier to wear a cross or display an ichthus than it is to love your wife as Christ loved the Church. It is a lot easier to wear a cross or display an ichthus than it is to be kind and patient with your husband. The apostle told the Thessalonians that this is one area in which they should excel—"to excel still more"! Are we excelling in love—agape love? Divine love is a Christian virtue and fruit of the Spirit that no honest Christian can ever say he has enough of or has perfectly demonstrated at all times and under all circumstances. We are always in the will of God whenever we pray, "Lord, give to me, your unworthy child, more of the very love of the Lord Jesus." We never reach our full capacity for Christlike love; this virtue always allows for growth. Commensurate with our growth in love for Christ will be our growth in love for His people. Before we can love people as we ought, we need to love Christ as we should. Not that we will ever reach the apex and feel that we've arrived! But we canCthrough the power of the indwelling Christ—love Christ with our "all"8 here and now, and—blessed paradox—always have room to love Him more. This is the same way Elizabeth Prentiss saw it when she penned these words in the 19th century: More love to Thee, O Christ, This is my earnest plea: This should be the daily prayer of all of Christ's disciples; and if it is, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ will flow quite naturally, though at times it will require effort. The Church's greatest failure is a failure to love—to love one another with a holy, Christlike love. The Church's greatest achievement—though not achieved in her own strength—is whenever she reflects the very image of her Lord. While this can only be approximated in this world by the followers of the Lord Jesus—"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me"9—yet, we who earnestly follow in the footsteps of the Son of God know this love and confess daily our need for more of it. If we excel in anything, let us make sure we excel in agape love. The Holy Spirit says this is an urgent matter! Let us be done with lesser things and give ourselves to matters of Heaven's highest importance. May we live in this disintegrating world with a real sense of urgency. - Soli Deo Gloria - All Bible references are taken from the New Interna-tional Version of the Bible except as noted. 1. See Website: Famous Motivational Quotes. |
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