Could it be that the negative perception people have of the church stems from the negative energy we project? And could it be that our negative energy stems from our negative view of righteousness? We falsely view righteousness as doing nothing wrong: ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do that. And you’re okay.’ The problem with that approach is you can do nothing wrong and still not do the right thing; the thing God is calling you to do. Righteousness means more than doing nothing wrong. Do you really think God’s ultimate dream for us is doing nothing wrong? You love it when your children make a difficult decision not to do something wrong. But the thing that brings you greater joy is seeing them develop their gifts and maximise their potential. And that’s what God wants for each of us. The Bible teaches two kinds of sin: the sin of commission, which is doing something you shouldn’t have done, and the sin of omission, which is all the things we could and should have done to advance God’s kingdom but didn’t do. A pastor writes: ‘In God’s economy, breaking even is a total loss. Isn’t that the lesson of the parable of the talents? The servant with one talent broke even…[and] Jesus called him a “wicked and lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26 NKJV). The greatest risk is taking no risks…Righteousness is using all our God-given gifts to their full God-given potential. Love doesn’t play it safe; it takes risks. Love doesn’t make excuses; it takes responsibility. Love doesn’t see problems; it seizes opportunities to step up and step in.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.