Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
“The first Christians found a social environment very far distant from the doctrine they had so very much at heart. Though they opposed the customs that vitiated even human dignity, they did not waste their best energies in complaining about and denouncing evil. On the contrary, they chose rather to distribute the treasure they possessed by spreading it with a joyful and fraternal testimony, serving society through innumerable initiatives in the areas of culture, social service, education, ransoming captives, etc. They could have spent their lives observing everything that was out of keeping with an upright life; thus they would never have given a true solution to the world at large.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 366-367.
Thanks for your prayers. I got to train 70 CEOs yesterday at the Missio Nexus conference in Louisville which has over 1,100 participants in attendance. It’s the largest missions conference in the USA.
Based on the ECFA Press book, The Choice, I shared the 2 paths and the 3 temptations, a model for a discernment retreat, and coaching to map faithful activities with their teams using a 3D (Discerning Direction Document) for accountability and evaluation.
The response was off the charts. One bloke said, “The conference was worth it for this session alone.” Praise God! Others spoke of the freedom and joy that had eluded them and that awaited them by taking this new path.
I love to watch adults interact with each other as they embrace biblical and practical content with great receptivity. And all I could think of during discussion times was the “innumerable initiatives” that will move forward in the 70 ministries they serve.
Pray that readers of this post will shift their energies from denouncing evil to advancing good. Pray with me that the seeds planted in CEOs take root and bear fruit. And pray that together through our collective witness, we can show “the true solution” to the watching world.