“They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:4)
Have you ever ridden a New York City subway? It really is a fascinating experience. I remember traveling with my 11-year-old daughter. The subway car was packed—standing room only. My daughter and I stood as the car raced down the tracks. I was relishing this daddy-daughter moment. My “baby girl” was clinging affectionately to my arm—or so I thought. She would later tell me she just didn’t want to touch anything on those filthy subway cars. My arm was the cleanest option! Oh well, I’ll take it however I can get it.
At one of the subway stops, three grown men boarded the car. As the doors shut, the men announced, “Good afternoon, everyone!” With those words, every New Yorker has been trained: put your head down and stare at the floor because people are about to ask you for money! As everyone stared at the floor, the three men moved to the front of the car and opened, “We aren’t here to ask you for anything. We simply want to lift your spirits and bless you with a song about our Savior.” The trio immediately busted into an old familiar hymn. With each chorus, something bizarre happened. Heads started lifting, and hands started clapping. One by one, each reluctant passenger was won over by the song. Eventually, the entire subway car was thundering away in praise. Somehow, a worship service had broken out. I seriously wondered if someone was “punking” me or something.
The subway car slowed to its next stop. The three gentlemen exited with these words: “GOD BLESS YOU!” The doors closed, the car sped away, and immediately everyone went back to staring at the floor in complete and utter silence. What just happened? Then it struck me: those men had been RESTORED in order to help RESTORE. Those three men were made new and now sought to bring renewal. Wherever you go and whatever you do, do it in such a way as to glorify God and bless the world. Those men decided to be a “thermostat” instead of a “thermometer.” They decided to set the spiritual temperature rather than simply take it. How can the world be fixed? By you being a spiritual thermostat and setting the spiritual temperature wherever you go and whatever you do. Jesus would say it this way:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:13–14)
How can what’s broken be fixed? By you being the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” By not just making a living, but by making a difference. You have been RESTORED to God in order to be an agent of RESTORATION. When you become aware of all Jesus has done for you through the Cross, it becomes nearly impossible to simply sit on the “sidelines” and do nothing. Gratitude compels us to partner with God as agents of restoration. We push back against all that is dark and broken in the world. It’s our ultimate expression of gratitude. It’s how we say, “Thank You,” for all He’s done.
I’ll end this section with the story of Eddie Rickenbacker. Eddie seemed to be a rather odd old man. He could be seen regularly walking up and down an ocean pier with a pail full of raw shrimp. He would toss shrimp into the air over the ocean. Seagulls would gather and acrobatically scoop the delicious morsels out of the air before they could touch the ocean’s surface. With each handful of shrimp, the old man could be heard whispering, “THANK YOU. THANK YOU.”
The backstory: Eddie Rickenbacker was America’s leading fighter ace of World War I and one of its most decorated aviators. During World War II, while on a military mission over the Pacific, the aircraft carrying Rickenbacker and his companions was forced to ditch in the ocean. Rickenbacker and seven others survived the plunge and made it safely to emergency life rafts. Adrift at sea, their food rations were soon exhausted, and so were they. They needed a miracle.
Eddie led the group in a time of prayer and then decided they should all try to rest and conserve energy. As Eddie lay back on the life raft attempting to get some sleep, he felt something land on his head. It was a seagull. Eddie lay motionless, not wanting to startle the bird. The crew froze as they watched in disbelief. Eddie waited for the perfect moment to strike. Suddenly—like a bolt of lightning—Eddie snatched hold of the bird. Feathers flew into the air as Eddie and the crew used the bird for desperately needed food. They also used parts of it as bait to catch fish, helping sustain them while they remained lost at sea. Eventually, they were found, rescued, and brought home.
In the years that followed, Rickenbacker reportedly returned to the ocean with shrimp in hand, feeding the gulls as an act of remembrance and gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you.” I can’t help but think that’s how we should live. In light of the sacrifice of God’s own Son on our behalf, we should live our lives in a way that says, “Thank You. Thank You.”
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT)
In the marketplace of ideas, I believe Christianity answers life’s biggest questions best. I pray you come to the same conclusion. I want you to win at the game of life. But in the end, you have to decide for yourself.
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)