Sometimes we just need a kick in the butt

Humans are creatures of comfort. We will work towards being comfortable, and then stay there. That's fine, unless we are called to keep moving. Christians love to gather, but are often reluctant to scatter. This isn't a new thing. It has been a problem that God continues to solve with a swift kick.

After the flood, God commanded humans to fill the earth. They decided to stay in one place and build a tower to keep them from being scattered across the globe (Genesis 11:4). It took God confusing them with different languages for them to go where He wanted.

Look at the early church. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told his disciples that they would be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). But after they received the Holy Spirit they continued to grow and gather in Jerusalem. It took persecution led by Saul to scatter the church - and the believers who were scattered preached the Gospel wherever they went.

The same example applies to the church today. We are called to be His witnesses. And yet we continue to gather in one place (the local church) and make that place the focus of our lives as Christians. I believe that the Lord is gracious in giving us time to get moving. But He will not wait forever. Just as the axe is already laid at the root of the trees, so is the Lord's foot poised above the backsides of believers who are not yet obedient. If you are not yet moving, are you at least ready for takeoff?