Evil Thrives When Good People Do Nothing
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

“Evil thrives when good people do nothing” by Edmund Burke

This week I decided not to write about a scripture verse, but instead to write about one of my favorite quotes.

“Evil thrives when good people do nothing” This is the quote that stirred my heart.

Evil has surely made itself known and one does not have to go far to see it or hear about it.

This quote has applied to each and every one of us from the beginning of creation until the end of days on earth.  From a Christian perspective, I have recognized the necessary participation we as believers need to have in this world.  

God has a plan and with that plan He created each person with certain gifts and abilities that facilitate that person’s calling.  Unfortunately not all of us live out the way God planned for our life. We neglect our responsibility as God’s partners on earth.  Most Christians live isolated in their own little tidy world and yet fail to recognize that our leader, Jesus got His hands dirty. He was down in the mud with the sinners and the hurting.   We stand afar off hoping their mess doesn’t soil our religious attire. We blame others for hurting us and do not acknowledge betrayal and hurt goes both ways.  The church has hurt people and the people have hurt the church.  

We as Christians are failing in our mission to reveal God to the world.  We give Him our life and take it back at the first sign that we may have to do something uncomfortable.  We close our eyes to the harsh realities refusing to look at images or read headliners that make us squirm. The innocent are being abused, abandoned and neglected right before our eyes.  We have the greatest power within us and how many of us use it.  A few weeks ago I had written about God giving us everything we need to live a godly life and how many really do?  We, as the body of Christ, have a history of falling back in the heat of the battle against evil.

Madelyn O’Hara, the confirmed atheist was successful in getting prayer out of our schools.  If Christians protested and got on their knees in fervent prayer it may have turned out differently.

During World War II as the Nazi’s invaded Jewish homes and rounded up the innocent people to take them to their possible deaths, in order to drown out the frightening upheaval, the Christians who were worshipping in the nearby churches sang louder as the sound of military boots, shouts and gun fire ravaged the streets.  Jewish people were victimized by Hitler and betrayed by the closed mouthed Christian community.

Abortion was legalized in the Roe v Wade court battle and was passed.  Were there silent voices then too?    

Most Christians live as if the sole purpose of their salvation is to go to heaven. Yes, we as believers of the Lord Jesus will go to heaven, but that is the final part of our existence.  We each carry God’s will and plan in our hearts.  Our home is the Kingdom of God. Our home is in His presence. Our purpose is to stand in the Lord against evil. We are the sentries on duty and lights in this dark world.  We have a God given right to take up our stand and move back the forces that bring havoc on our society.  Our prayers are spiritual artillery that will stop the invasion of evil. 

The enemy counts on our silence and in far too many ways he goes unchallenged as he leaves a wake of destruction. 

We all have our own place in the Kingdom of God. We have access to power that is beyond any earthly power and an authority that is given to us from heaven.  We can change this world.   We have our own position on the battle field against evil and we will prevail if we walk in the manner that we were called.  If we each stood on solid ground in the strength of the Lord there would be no limit to our victories and our successes.  

But there are many lone rangers out there who are too afraid to open their eyes and see the evil.  If it is too painful for us to look at images or learn of tragic stories how much more painful is it for those who live it?  This is shameful and unacceptable. We need to really get it that it is not about us and our little lives, the more we can see with clarity and truth the better able we have a firm stand against evil.

Challenge:  what passion stirs within you that would be risky?  What would touch the very core of your soul and make you move in that direction?  My challenge is for you to challenge yourself to look and hear and feel what you have sheltered yourself from.   Do “something”.

God bless

Marni

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lamb-rightThe purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.