We are not the victims, we are the rescue crew!
This broken, fallen world we’ve limped along in for so long is finally falling apart. Everywhere we look, it’s become increasingly obvious the house is on fire. But here’s the thing — this is not our house. We are here, but this is not where our citizenship lies. We are in the world but not of the world. (John 15:18–19, John 17:8-11, John 17:6–7, John 17:14–16). When a fireman enters a burning building, he does not look around at the contents being destroyed and fall into sorrow and despair. He’s got a more important job to do: locate the people inside and get them to safety. That's where his energy, adrenaline and hope come from.
Fire Engineering magazine, written for firefighters, explains:
Saving lives is the primary objective. Whether it’s rescuing people from burning buildings, performing search and rescue operations, or administering medical aid to individuals in distress, these tasks are urgent and important. [We] are trained to prioritize life safety above all else.
Christians are God’s rescue crew for the times we are living in. We don’t need to despair over the physical things being destroyed. We know that all things worth keeping will be replaced with even better versions when God creates the new heavens and the new earth. (I'll post evidence of this in my next post.) Instead, our focus has to be on rescuing people because they are irreplaceable and infinitely valuable.