By Anita Mondragon
How many times have you heard someone say, “I was born for this!”? I know I’ve said it a time or two myself when I found out I was good at something. Folks have even written songs pertaining to this very subject… Remember, “Born To Be Wild”-Steppenwolf, released in June of 1968? If you remember the 60’s, I believe almost everyone thought they were born to be wild. But there was another man born for a greater purpose about 2,000 years ago!
I was watching a movie the other night. Most of it was in Chinese with subtitles. Some of it was in English as well. And yes! For those of you wondering ‘why’ I would watch a movie with subtitles…yes; the Covid19 virus has me bored to tears!
Anyway, it was a long movie, a good plot, but I found myself wishing it was over. I had a hard time relating to it…it was about a civil war going on between China and Africa with some mercenary guys included. There were about eight minutes left…I had to see the end. I’m glad I did, for a statement was made that rocked my soul. A mercenary and a patriot were at death blows. The mercenary was winning and it looked as though the war had been in vain for the freedom fighter. The mercenary said in a disgusted voice, “Look at them! ….”You’re willing to die for those people?” The patriot answered with certainty, “I was BORN for them!”
Upon hearing those words, I immediately thought of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. I could almost picture Satan having a conversation with Jesus regarding the Cross. As the disciples lay sleeping, the devil spat out his venomous words of disdain…”Really? Look at them…you’re so-called followers…they can’t even stay awake and pray with you! And you want to die to save those people?” I believe that’s when Jesus reached his ‘resolve’. Those words from the devil’s lips sealed his destruction and made Jesus determined to die for all of mankind, no matter the cost; for he knew if the devil won, it would be hell on earth for mankind, and then hell for eternity! I can imagine Him looking at the devil and saying, “I was born for this! They are the only reason I came! I was born to die for them!”
Those words and the actions that followed by Jesus struck the final blow to Satan’s kingdom.
Let me ask you…”Why do you think you were born?” Was it to be wild and do your own thing? Was it to live a life of self-gratification and think only of yourself? Was it to acquire wealth? Was it to live a life of ease without having a thought of those around you suffering in agony…wallowing in their self-made prisons of addiction, prostitution, homelessness, and insanity?
Or were you, I, we, all born for a greater purpose? We can’t die for their sins…Jesus already did that with His pure, sinless self; but we can point the way to Him and the cross! We can share the story of Salvation and forgiveness! We can be a light in the dark!
We will all stand before God one day and give an account for our life and how we lived it. Did it mean something… Did we leave a legacy?…. Will we be remembered as being rude, selfish, deceitful, conniving, and self-centered?…. Or will folks flock to say their goodbyes and give words of gratitude and love because you were concerned about THEM and their well-being?…. Because YOU shined a light into their darkness and showed them the path to freedom in Christ….
ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE. WILL YOU BE A WARRIOR IN GOD’S ARMY? OR A PAWN IN THE DEVIL’S PLAN?
WHAT WERE YOU BORN FOR?