Imagine the year 570 B.C.
The world conquest map was changing, and the Babylonians were at the height of their powers.
The Israelites had been taken into captivity by Babylon’s might, taken away from the Promised Land, taken away from all that they had known (2 Chronicles 36:15-21).
It would have been a tough time for men as they saw their strength minimized by the more powerful Babylonians. It would have been a time of suffering and humiliation; I am certain their conquerors did not make life easy on them.
What were the men of Israel supposed to do? How were they supposed to respond to the idol-worshiping empire that overcame them and dragged them away from their homes? What kind of example were they supposed to set for their wives, sons, and daughters?
Word came from a prophet of God who had been left behind in Judea. He would give them the counsel from the LORD they were looking for.
What would he say?
How could they stand tall in defiance despite their obvious lack of victory?
The prophet’s word was about to surprise them:
“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
What?!
They were to bless the city? They were to pray for the Babylonians?
God knew what He wanted for His people. They were always to be a light, no matter the circumstances they found themselves in. As they obeyed the Lord, they would learn that He is the God above all gods and that His ways are the best ways.
This principle of praying for and blessing the city where we find ourselves is still true today.
There are three questions to consider when it comes to blessing, serving, and praying for the communities in which we live.
1. Who should be involved in blessing?
Every man who calls himself a Christian or a Christ-follower is called to bless. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and our mission is to act just like Him. We, who are filled with God’s love, should be at the forefront of blessing those in the community around us.
Abraham was told that God would bless him so that he might bless those around him (Genesis 12:1-3). This is the point of being blessed by God. We are blessed to be a blessing.
2. Why should men be involved in blessing?
A disciple of Jesus is compelled to love as Jesus did.
One day, the disciples and Jesus were on their way to Jerusalem. Some Samaritans were not treating them very well, so the disciples came up with a plan:
“When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (Luke 9:54-55)
Jesus was not into destroying their enemies. In fact, His focus was the exact opposite. He said:
“For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
And in another place:
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17)
Blessing, saving, serving…these were Jesus’ ways of dealing with the world around Him, and, as men who follow this Saviour, they must be our ways as well.
What better person is there for a community than a man compelled by God’s love to care for and serve those around him?
3. How should men be involved in blessing?
Jeremiah describes the first step: We are to pray for the peace and prosperity of the community. Is your community regularly on your prayer list? Do you remember it before the Lord? Do you pray for your civic leaders, first responders, police and law enforcement agencies, church leaders, and business owners?
God has more than enough grace, mercy, and kindness to go around. Wouldn’t it be great if you could partner with Him to distribute His good gifts to your community?
Not only should we pray, but we should also serve. We should be men with a towel over our arms, ready and willing to do whatever we can to improve our communities.
Volunteerism is on the decline in Canada and the US. This can be seen in communities and in churches. As believers in a serving Master, we cannot be part of this statistic. We must lead the way in serving as this honors our Lord Jesus Christ.
We should be thankful men, not grumbling about how things are run or cynical about what we see. Paul clearly states that all of our civil authorities are placed there by God (Romans 13:1-7), and our responsibility is to treat them with respect.
Let’s lead the way in thankfulness. Let’s work to find the best things about our communities and celebrate them publicly.
And we should not be a part of the problem. It is important to stand up against injustice. It’s okay to have ideas different from what is embraced by the communities we find ourselves in. But disrespectful, rebellious, and disruptive actions are not becoming of a son of God; stirring up unhealthy dissension is not what we are called to do.
So, get out there. Volunteer at your local hockey rink or school. Bless your street or cul-de-sac. Clean up garbage in a park.
Where I live, we have a day every year when we celebrate the birth of our town. There are fun activities for families and a parade. The town is always looking for volunteers. Our church wants to staff the whole event with servants. We want to relieve all the stress on our town planners, and we want them to know that we are there to serve—just like our Master would do.
What would it be like if, one day, your church could meet all the volunteer needs in your town?
May God use all of us to bless the communities that we are in. For His glory, for our joy, and for the hope of the world.
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