are you up for the long haul?

• We’re all in community, all of the time. Whether it’s a school or college community, a family community, a church, village or urban community, we are - as the poet Tennyson points out - a part of all that we’ve met. You might not always enjoy, like or agree with individuals or aspects of your community, yet you’re still a part of it. Changing it for the better is sometimes going to be a big, often tough challenge.
  
  
• You can only really change something if you’re willing to get involved with the nitty-gritty, ground-level detail. A few weeks ago we looked at not moaning and doing something positive about the things we want to see changed in our communities. Well, how’s that been going for you? If it’s working well - good one, keep going! If it’s not been as easy as you’d first expected, what needs to change to help you make a difference? Do you need more people, more money or maybe a change of attitude to help you achieve this?
  
  
• This week, sit down and make a list of the things/people you need on board, in order to help your community get changed in the name of Jesus. As a Revolutionary, where can you best channel your energy, so your actions speak just as loud as your words? If you want a new youth drop-in centre, have you approached the council about it, or asked some church leaders to meet you for coffee so you can ask what they are prepared to resource you with to make this happen? Are there loads of skaters in the supermarket carpark with no skate park of their own? Can you help them find their own venue to skate whilst at the same time sharing the good news of Jesus with them? What can you do in your community to make a difference?
  
  
• Changing our communities requires prayer, action and commitment. As Revolutionaries you can certainly pray - that’s not going to be too difficult is it? You’re going to have to take action - hard, yes but you’ve got to start somewhere. And then, hardest of all, you’re going to definitely need to be committed - that’s the toughest part, because that requires sustained effort. It’s sometimes only when people see how hard you’ve worked at a project over a long period of time, that you then win permission to speak into their lives and explain the reason why you care and who you’re inspired by.
  
  
• This week, plan and pray hard. Then take action, but be prepared for the long haul. Your task of seeing your community changed for Jesus may go well beyond 2008, yet Jesus will walk, guide and direct you and your mates into making a positive difference. Question is, are you up for it?