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Are we effective in the Kingdom
... or are we just busy?
It occurred to me this morning that we live in a world surrounded by people in dire need of Jesus, desperately in need of a future and a destiny with Him at the center, but we are so busy doing stuff that we no longer see their need.
It's like we are paramedics - fully trained, with all the medication and equipment we need to save their lives, to change their destiny forever, BUT.....
Picture this:
You are driving down a country road and come upon the scene of a horrific car accident. A car has just smashed into a tree. The front is crumpled and the door has been torn off and is lying out of sight. You can just make out the person inside - alive, but dazed and in serious shock and trauma.
This is the end for this individual if they don't get help. They have no future if they don't receive lifesaving procedures - no future, no destiny, no impact.
Someone else must have made the emergency call because, as you watch, the ambulance arrives with sirens blaring and pulls up sharply next to the vehicle.
That ambulance contains all the equipment, medical supplies and expertise this person needs to continue their journey to fulfilling their destiny.
The team of paramedics swiftly jump from the ambulance. With lightning speed they asses the situation, consult and begin to act. They tear open the door on the passenger side of the vehicle.
With coordinated teamwork they flow at breathtaking speed. They reach in and, avoiding the blood, broken bones and traumatized tissues, turn the person and pull their legs toward them.
Working with paced professionalism, and efficiency they cut the trousers away from the ankles and roll them back. They slice through the laces and pull the boot off, then carefully cut off one sock at a time.
The team leader reaches back his arm to his waiting team member who places a small yellow bottle into his hand...
They hand him a bottle of ...
...nail polish!
You sit there aghast and mortified as each toenail in turn receives a coat of nail polish. Then a second.
By now the team is relaxed as they accomplish their task and are enjoying the experience, chatting and laughing as they focus on the final effect of their labour, transforming the feet of the victim.
As colour drains from your face, you notice they are completely comfortable and believe what they are doing is perfectly natural and appropriate. They know they are in the right place at the right time. They know they have all they need and are very focused on their assignment. They are happy. They are busy. They are actually doing stuff with people.
When they return back to base they will celebrate, they will say they got there in time, they worked hard, and they achieved their aim.
But the corpse just had more attractive feet.
What are we focused on?
What is our busyness achieving in the medium and long term?
Are we positively impacting the lives of the people around us so that their future is better?
Are we helping people discover and walk in their destiny?
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.. or are we just painting people's toenails?
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I can think of no better place to begin next year than in Israel. There are still seats available on a unique tour of Israel scheduled from Sept 24 - Oct 12. We will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of Hebrew year, looking into the Holy Land from where Moses stood, and then begin the chronological three-week journey through the land from Joshua to Abraham to King David to Jesus to the state of Israel today. 
