Wait?

(I shared this for worship last night, maybe it will strike a chord with some of you as it did with me.) :-)

A fourth of July wouldn't be complete without reading at least part of the Declaration of Independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” --The Declaration of Independence.

For this, our forefathers were willing to die. And some of them did die for it. Today, we enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice. But listen to this:

“The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity, she will have to do in a terrible crisis, under most discouraging, forbidding, circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld, must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith, and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren, and to excite indignation against them. This day is just before us. The members of the church will individually be tested and proved. They will be placed in circumstances where they will be forced to bear witness for the truth. Many will be called to speak before councils and in courts of justice, perhaps separately and alone. The experience which would have helped them in this emergency they have neglected to obtain, and their souls are burdened with remorse for wasted opportunities and neglected privileges.”--Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 463.

What are we going to do? Wait for things to get harder? I think we would be much better of to take advantage of every opportunity we have. Mrs. White speaks about this too:

“Let the light shine forth farther and still farther, in every place to which it is possible to obtain entrance. Satan will make the work as difficult as possible, but divine power will attend all true-hearted workers. Guided by our heavenly Father's hand, let us go forward, improving every opportunity to extend the work of God.”--Medical Ministry, p. 325.

Again she says:

“Men of stamina are wanted, men who will not wait to have their way smoothed and every obstacle removed, men who will inspire with fresh zeal the flagging efforts of dispirited workers, men whose hearts are warm with Christian love and whose hands are strong to do their Master's work.”--Ministry of Healing, p. 497.

Today, we have a choice. Are we going to wait to get serious in our relationship with Christ, wait until things get harder to do the work that needs to be done? Christ is waiting too.

“Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” {COL 69.1}

Let's not make Him wait any longer!

-Schane