May 8, 2007

We all long for significance, to know that when our lives are over, that we made a difference, that we did something that will make the world a better place to live. We all long for meaning and purpose.

We can look in our lives and see the stories of those who have made a difference – those with such significance, meaning and purpose. There are stories all around us of those people who have made this world a better place to live. We hear of those people striving to find a cure for AIDS and for Cancer. We hear of Bono of U2 – who started the ONE Campaign, and other celebrities fighting to end world poverty and world hunger. We can think now of our own soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world fighting the War on Terror, longing to usher forth peace and security for those they love and even those they will never know. We know of those at Starbucks longing to provide clean drinking water for every community around the world through the Ethos Campaign.

And even within the Movement of Jesus Christ, we can count others. There are the courageous missionaries who have given up the safety and comforts of home to serve on a foreign mission field – whatever the cost, proclaiming the hope found in Jesus Christ. There are our faithful pastors who have inspired us by their lives of faith, love and hope, calling us to live lives driven by the same. There are the catalytic revolutionaries – whether great or small, who dream dreams so big that their lives pull us into the movement, causing us to believe that things could get better.

Each of these groups or individuals inspire us because they have lived lives that have meaning and significance and purpose. They have done something in this world that counts, something that has mattered.

As we jump into the Scriptures we have countless examples of people living lives of meaning and significance. But one of my favorite stories includes four men – who we have come to know well, whose lives had great meaning. The great contrast is, that these men, would never have imagined that their lives would have such meaning from this one story.

In this story, one man led the fight against a great army. Another man outstretched his arms to the Heavens and then took a seat on a rock until Sunset. And the other two men each held up a weary arm of the man sitting on a rock.

Let’s look at their story… in Exodus 17
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The [c] LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

It might be easy for us to assign value to the roles that Joshua, Moses, Aaron and Hur had in conquering the Amalekites. Of course, Joshua led the fight against the Amalekite army. He had great significance in this event in history. And Moses, yes, his whole life had great significance. But in this story, his role seems minor, really. He just happened to outstretch his arms. But what we know is that Moses’ outstretched arms EMPOWERED Joshua to overtake the Amalekites. In verse 9, Moses COMMISSIONS and RELEASES Joshua for the battle, and in verse 14 Moses AFFIRMS Joshua’s role in what God was doing.

As for Aaron and Hur, their roles could be deemed insignificant, RIGHT? - they only held up Moses’ arms. . .WRONG! We know that their roles had great meaning! If Aaron and Hur had been absent, who would have upheld Moses’ arms? And then would Joshua have lost the battle against the Amalekites? The text tells us that when Moses’ hands grew tired Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on one side, one on the other. Aaron and Hur each had one hand . . . just one hand. And yet Aaron and Hur had great meaning and significance. Their role was absolutely VITAL. Without them, Moses’ arms could not have stayed outstretched to empower Joshua to win the war.

Aaron and Hur could be deemed key to the ministry, in fact, each of these men could be deemed key to the ministry. Why? Because their role was VITAL, each role was VITAL, each person was VITAL! Without one the impact would never have been so great. Each one was needed, each one had meaning.

Of course, each of these men and each of us, ultimately find our meaning, significance and purpose in the person and life of Jesus Christ. If not for His life, we would be living insignificant lives.

Why did God use Joshua, Moses, Aaron and Hur? And why does God use each of us? For we are just people – people whose lives include stories of brokenness and pain, loneliness and insignificance.

One of my favorite quotes reminds me why God chooses to use each one of us, each one of our stories, each one of our lives, each and every single one.

… Given that there is a God, [that] he cares about humanity, and [that] he is deeply troubled by the human condition, how could God proceed to actively engage the human dilemma? If God refuses to take from us our free will and he refuses to leave the world in its present condition, what can he do?
Here’s an interesting possibility: He could change our hearts. He could take us through a process that would moves us from greed to altruism, that would moves us from indifference to compassion, that would move us from hate to love, that would move us from apathy to activism. If he could change us, he could change the world (other version: By changing us, he can change the world).
There was once a Roman citizen named Saul of Tarsus who was a religious fanatic and murderer, and he eventually had an encounter with Jesus Christ. He is best known as Paul. He turned from a life of condemnation and violence to becoming a champion of love, hope and faith.
It may seem way too simple, but the world will change when we change.

- Erwin McManus, Soul Cravings

This is exactly why God uses us. He takes the brokenness and pain, loneliness and insignificance and so beautifully weaves through our lives hope and healing, to bring wholeness and redemption. By changing us, he is changing the world.

You are change in this world.

You are a Joshua, Moses, Aaron or Hur. YOUR ROLE IS VITAL, YOUR LIFE IS VITAL, YOU ARE VITAL! YOU are change in this world.

Just as each of these men were so key in defeating the Amalekite army, YOU are key in ministry where you are serving. Joshua, Moses, Aaron and Hur each had a vastly different role. Each of you have vastly different role. Each of them were needed and used by God in a mighty way. And just like them, each of you are needed and are being used by God in a mighty way.

You have meaning, significance and purpose not only to God, but to your area of ministry.

Your faithful service to God has played a VITAL role in offering HOPE and HEALING to a hurting world and advancing the movement of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your faithful service.

May 8th, 2007 © allthis