Meet Sue-ellen. This 36 year old, Essex born mother of three, gets up from her king size divan every morning and gives her husband and kids a kiss before driving off to work in her black Audi TT. Suited in the latest jacket from D&G, coupled with her Prada bag and Jimmy Choo shoes she tunes into Capital FM before speeding off. She sings, “I’m every woman” to herself whilst planning the tasks she will complete today in her high profile job in the City. She’s in control, she makes her own luck, she decides and determines how her day will be. Then the traffic light turns red on a certain road, in North London and she’s confronted with the same image she sees five days a week…
Her thoughts are turned to the sight of fifty something people leaving a Church at 7.55am and she shakes her head in annoyance thinking, “That Church! They had better not post another copy of their newspaper through my door again!”
Sue-ellen has never met God and indeed comes from a family who are Athiest and have been for generations. Her family have worked hard for all they have and so they feel that they have no need of Him. But why is?
Let’s take a closer look at the picture of Sue-ellen’s life:
With no faith that God can protect and help raise her family, she has three great kids who are doing remarkably well at school, whose friends are Christian and are not making the same grade.
With no faith that God can prosper her, she owns a four bedroom house, with a huge garden and a Bentley parked outside yet her neighbour who is a Christian has the same house and struggles every month to pay the rent and she can hear the blazing arguments that take place because money is an issue.
With no faith in God, Sue-ellen travels the world, with no fear that the plane may crash or that it will leave a huge hole in her finances yet her best friend who is a Christian has palpations at the thought of taking a plane and whenever she needs to travel, Sue-ellen is the one who borrows her the money and doesn’t ask for it back (because she knows she can’t afford to repay it)
And the list continues… why should Sue-ellen believe in this God?
Nevertheless, I don’t rate the atheist because of these material things. I rate the atheist because I will never be able to fully comprehend how Sue-ellen can love, have a family, a partner who she has shared her entire life with, have such great morals and standards and strive to be a law abiding citizen doing good in her community and yet… when her loved one passes away, she will have no belief that she will ever see him or her again. It’s over; Nothingness; Darkness; The end. And so, Sue-ellen will be left in such pain and grief, and yet she doesn’t know that she has a Saviour who has guaranteed a place for her and her family in a special mansion after death. She doesn’t know this Saviour because she can not see Him in a leaflet or newspaper.
She can only see Him in His servants, who are meant to be His replicas on earth. Who sometimes, instead of using their own faith in themselves coupled with their faith in God to achieve great things, they use their faith as an excuse to do nothing at all and live a less than acceptable life and Sue-ellen just can not comprehend this.
She brands the Christian as being religious and that’s just a big fat no-go area for her but true Christians are not religious at all. In fact, Jesus hates religion. He loves life. He loves faith but how will she know this?
How will the Athiest truly meet this amazing God that she can have such a wonderful relationship with? Who will complete her and give her hope for a great future. Who,if a sickness strikes a friend or family member, He is able to heal. Who, when a person can not sleep at night, is able to chase these bad dreams away. Who can make the Athiest truly happy in this life and guarantee a chance of an indescribable happiness in the near future.
This unique and powerful task has been given to the Christians, to show their communities who God really is starting with their own character. Our God is bold, yet humble, faithful and so strong, reliable, punctual and excellent, and so followers of Christ have to be the same!
If Jesus was to live today in this time, his family would be a picture of unity, his friends would enjoy His company and always be laughing. His business would be worldwide and enjoyed by millions. His workers would never be paid basic salaries but would also enjoy prosperity. His houses would be out of this world and His cars top of the range. Jesus would be dressed in purple and His character would amaze people. His persona would shine so brightly more than the leaflet He would distribute and He would not carry a Bible under His arm because He would live it! He would speak without saying words and, His life would be a magnet! When Sue-ellen would see Him leaving the Church at 7.55am and smiling at her from a distance, she would take a deep breath and say, “Wow! I wonder what happens in that place?”
If only Jesus was here? But He is! Through the Christian who has the heart to reach out and share His God with others in ALL areas of His life and it all begins and springs from our relationship with Him. If we truly know Him, He will shine through us. Let’s never underestimate the greatness of our God and let’s invest in Him first.
A lesson for the Atheist: it doesn’t matter who came first the chicken or the egg. The fact is that we are here. In the same way, it doesn’t matter if you choose to believe in God or not, the fact is that He exists.
A lesson for the Christian, “great signs will follow those who believe…” If you believe, greater things than Me (Jesus) you will do”
Let’s honour our God through our existence here on earth. Let our lives be a portfolio of His wonders and a testimony of who we serve. Let’s give the Atheist, a reason to believe!
For more information, call the UCKG HelpCentre at the Rainbow Theatre on 020 7686 6000 (24hrs) and ask about the Monday meetings of the 318.
Caution: It’s only for the brave!
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