Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
James 5:17-18 NKJV
Sometimes, I think, we go through life watching everybody else instead of living ourselves. Maybe we have been too much pickled in the culture of entertainment – TV, movies, media galore – and we see everything as a production of some kind. We hear and see stories of people doing great and admirable things, and our response is, “ That must be a special person.” No, they’re not. They sweat and fail and quit and start again just like you do. Please don’t be a life-spectator. It’s not a movie.
In particular, please don’t be a spectator at church. First of all, go to church. Don’t watch it on TV unless you absolutely have to. Second, get involved in worship. Sing as if you really believe He saved you and He’s alive. Third, greet somebody as if you think you’re part of the same family (You are!). Next, don’t think of the preacher as some sort of superhuman entity who sails to the pulpit accompanied by angelic hosts. He or she is at least as human as you are, and the same angelic host accompanies you. Finally, pray like you think God hears you. He does.
Here’s the point: Great things are done by ordinary people who have an extraordinary God. The only requirement is to get out of the audience and get in the game. Stuff will happen.
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