THIS is a move of God...

Today during the online church service, we sang a song that contained the words “This is a move… this is a move…” and I felt compelled to share what God showed me as we sang those words. 

As we sang, I heard the Lord say, “THIS is a move… THIS is a move… The virus, the racial tensions and uprisings, the tearing down of statues, the on-going feelings of chaos, the ever-growing divisions, not being able to assemble as we would like… THIS is a move of God.” I immediately thought… God… This doesn’t look or feel like what I would associate with a move of God.  

Yet, then I realized that God is permitting each of these things to pass in this season. God is allowing things to be shaken. He is breaking things off. He is seeing what is important to us. He is proving us. He is seeing how we truly view others… if we truly put others ahead of ourselves. He is putting our relationships with Him to the test. He is seeing how we act when we can’t be in the church building. He is seeing how we react when others don’t share similar viewpoints. He is seeing how we love when others don’t share similar histories.

And honestly… we (collectively) are failing. We are shouting for “rights and privileges” over protecting the lives of the vulnerable. We are converting real living breathing human lives into mere numbers and minimizing the value of the loss of even a SINGLE human life. We are boldly proclaiming religious persecution yet don’t even take the time to worship God in own homes. We are minimizing the experiences of our brothers and sisters of color and are failing to see the need to learn from their personal experiences. We are seeing those with different opinions on matters as our sworn enemies and viciously attacking them. We are putting leaders, politics, policies, and personal “freedoms” on a pedestal and defending them with “knee-jerk reactions”. We (collectively) are failing.

To echo the words of Pastor Dan Backens, “Our love is on trial”. Our love is on trial and we are failing. God is permitting our love to be tested, and we can’t see past our own selves to love those who don’t look like us, who don’t agree with us, or who don’t share similar histories as us. Our love is on trial and we are failing.

So, how is this a move of God? God is permitting all of this to happen. He is permitting a shaking… a shifting… a sifting. He is permitting us to be shaken to see what is really on the inside of us. He is exposing the worst parts of humanity right now as a wake-up call. He is seeing what it is that we really hold to be important. However, many of us are too distracted with our politics, our freedoms, and our own personal narratives to see what is happening. God is on the move, and we don’t see it. We are permitting ourselves to be divided along every line possible instead of holding onto love and loving others as ourselves.

The Bible is full of verses about love. I am sure we could spend hours quoting them. We all know that we are called to “love one another” and “all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13-25-36 NASB). But… how are we living this right now? Are we loving like Jesus loved us? Would someone know we were disciples if they judged us only on our love? If our love is on trial, then what is the verdict for our life?

I believe that THIS is a move of God. God is permitting a shaking. He is sifting us. He is seeing what REALLY lies within our hearts… what we REALLY hold important. And the truth is… we (collectively) are failing. However, it’s not too late. Let us realign with Him today. Let us lay aside those things we have put on a pedestal. Let us lay down our banners and affiliations, and remember we are called first to love. Love like He loved us. THIS is a move of God.