‎10 Questions Christians Need to Ask Themselves – Our response to the Connecticut shootings

I don’t usually write about current events here on Raising Arrows. I leave that to other blogs to deal with accordingly, not because I don’t feel like current events should be addressed, but because the focus here at Raising Arrows is more on the little things that make up the big things that affect our world, rather than the events of the world itself.

Even today, I don’t intend to break down the events of Friday in Connecticut, but rather offer a focus in the form of some tough questions and eternal Truths.

The Truth is that human beings were made in the image of God and were created with purpose, but the humanism of our modern age ignores this Truth and creates an environment of devalued life and a purpose that thinks only of self.

Every single person killed on Friday, gunman included, was created in God’s image. Every single person on this earth, no matter their faith (or lack thereof), their skin color, or their political affiliation were created in the image of God with purpose. Not all see themselves or others this way, not all work toward fulfilling a purpose rooted and grounded in the Word of God; however, the fact that people do not see purpose in their lives or the lives of others does not null and void the fact that they have been created by Design.

We have to start seeing ourselves, our children, and everyone in this world as created in God’s image. We have to speak purpose into our children’s lives. We have to stop seeking self and start seeking God’s perfect will. We have to raise up a new culture. Only then will anger and lawlessness be stopped. Only then will men cease to do what is right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

Many people will try to control what happened in Connecticut with pointed fingers and stiffer laws. There will be blame laid all over the place, but few will take the time to dig deep into what really happened.

We have created a culture where every man is out for himself and few seek the One True God. We don’t acknowledge life as God-given and we don’t respect much outside of our own thoughts and opinions. We take more than we give and we demand more than we defer. We are so focused on the here and now and the culture of self that we have no need of God and no need of a Savior. After all, we’ve done nothing wrong…or at least, nothing as wrong as that other guy.

Our church service last night was spent breaking down the truth of what happened on Friday. We looked long and hard at the value of human life and the role of humanism in our modern society. I walked away from that service with a heavy heart, one that grieved over my own part in this crisis.

I began to ask myself some tough questions. Questions I believe every Christian should ask themselves…

1. Inside and outside my home, whom do I serve? Am I busy self-preserving or serving others in Christ’s name? Is my heart inwardly or outwardly focused?

2. Do my children know they are created in God’s image, not just by my words, but by my actions as well? Do they know they have a God-given purpose. Do they know we see each and every one of them as blessings and that we gladly accept these gifts from the Lord? Do they know that Mommy and Daddy rejoice in being able to raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? (Ephesians 6:4)

3. Am I spending my time as a mother training my children up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6) or am I guiding them toward a humanist worldview? Do they know that life is not about living for yourself and doing the things that make you happy, but that life is about loving and knowing God so that you can love others?

4. When I see sin in others, do I become self-righteous or do I grieve over a back turned on God? Do I love others enough to not want to see them go to hell? Do I love others enough to take the time to be a beacon of Light and Hope?

5. Do I spend a lot of time complaining? Am I upset over my current situation or at the people in my life who bother me. Am I living a life full of “poor-me’s” or am I striving toward the joy of a life lived for Christ?

6. Am I living as salt and light? Do others see a life steeped in the Word of God? Do I point others toward Christ? Or am I too focused on myself to keep focused on Him?

7. Am I striving to do the Lord’s will faithfully? Am I content with where He has placed me? Am I content with His timing? Am I content with His purpose in my life? Am I searching for what benefits me or am I seeking and waiting upon Him? (Psalm 27:14)

8. Do I truly love others? Do I believe every life matters? Do I believe every life is God-given? Not just the ones who do no harm, but also those who do?

9. Do I know how to condemn the sin, but grieve over the sinner? Do I know how to love the hard-to-love?

10. What is the biblical response to sin and evil? Where does my hope lie? (1 Peter 3:15) What can I do to proclaim this hope, not just when tragedy strikes, but every single day of my earthly life?

Dear readers, I know what it is like to lose a child. I know what it is like to try to cram everything you want to say about your child onto a piece of stone. I know what it is like to always feel as if a piece of you is missing.

And I know my daughter’s life and death had purpose and meaning.

Now is not the time to find blame and point fingers. It is time to offer hope. It is time to outwardly live a Gospel-centered life that reaches across this land and beyond.

It’s time the Salt became salty once again.