As we indicated in last week’s post, the awful announcement of Charlie Kirk’s assassination wasn’t just another news item in our house. Since that unforgettable afternoon last Wednesday, we’ve joined the multitudes who have pondered the spiritual and emotional impact of both his life and his death. And like many of you, Diane and I have been amazed at the outpouring of love and have praised God for the explosion of interest in forming many new Turning Point USA chapters both here and around the world. But what we have not been surprised by is that the devil’s minions have made themselves known as well. Their evil words and actions are as sick and demonically inspired as the murder itself.
Encouraging Indications ~
But what captivates my heart and my attention now is not a desire to know every detail that investigators discover as they delve into the dark, ugly depths of human depravity. What I want to discern instead is how God might want to direct us as we move beyond this
historically significant and spiritually supercharged moment. At this point, we’re rejoicing for the indications of a real and growing sense of unity and revival among those who share the faith in Jesus that Charlie so boldly proclaimed. Hearing that unified voice is powerfully encouraging, but as we contemplate our role in the path ahead, there are also some things about unity we need to remember.
Since that assassin’s bullet took him away from us into the arms of Jesus, multitudes in gatherings here and around the world have been heard shouting, “We are Charlie Kirk.” Now when they say that, no one suspects that they’re claiming to have Charlie’s gifts, abilities, intellect, or influence. Charlie’s unique blend of charismatic personality, intelligence, eloquence, courage, vision, and, of course, faith was incredibly rare. Obviously, we’d all love to emulate qualities like that, but the kind of unity that’s so vital to a revival of righteousness, justice, and truth is not uniformity. The unity God designed both to preserve and protect His people and to heal this broken world didn’t involve looking, speaking, thinking, and performing like one another. God’s approach to unity was much more powerful and effective.
A Spiritual Family Portrait ~
One of the most obvious pictures God used to describe His approach to unity is that of a family. Through our faith in Jesus, each of us has been eternally connected both to Jesus and to each other. We share the same origin, the same destination, and share all the
privileges associated with being God’s child. But the fact that we share all those things does not mean that our individual identity is lost. We share the same name, the same benefits, the same honor associated with the Father, but we don’t all have the same fingerprints.
And as though that image wasn’t enough to get the point across, God gave us another one. He used our physical bodies as another metaphorical instrument to depict what unity means to Him.
The Apostle Paul addressed that issue masterfully in his first letter to the church in Corinth (I Corinthians 12:12-27) where some of his observations were stated like this:
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12 NKJV)
For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1 Corinthians 12:14–18 NKJV)
That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Corinthians 12:25–27 NKJV)
Thanks to Paul’s insights, we can declare with divine authority that sticking your cell phone in your mouth so your tongue can hear your favorite song just ‘ain’t gonna work.’ And no matter how hard you try to sniff your armpit with your eyeballs to ‘see’ if your deodorant’s working, you’re gonna be disappointed, right? And you’ve probably already figured out, too, that your fingernails can’t really help you digest that hot dog that’s giving you heartburn.
Distinctively Unified ~
So, as this movement continues to gather steam, let’s give up trying to be something God didn’t design us to be and get serious about displaying Whose we are, who we are, and
why we’re here. The opportunities and challenges facing us at this point in our history are incredibly significant. They are as diverse as we are, but just as bodies and families make differences functional, so can we. We can take all our distinctives and wrap them in an attitude and an approach to life like the one Charlie Kirk consistently displayed.
We’ve all heard comments from virtually everyone who knew or worked with Charlie about how consistently excited, joyful, optimistic, and grateful he was for the privilege of doing what God called and equipped him to do. Obviously, there were endless pressures and demands associated with his work and the life he lived, but he wasn’t prone to grumble and complain about them. And I’m convinced that Charlie’s positive, optimistic demeanor wasn’t a biological phenomenon, and I don’t believe for a minute that it was a reaction to the thousands of people who came out to see him. I think that, in many ways, it was a major reason for the vast crowds that gravitated to him.
One Thing to Share ~
Charlie had a bright, hopeful, loving, and fearlessly open approach to life, and none of it had to do with the color of his skin, his DNA, his gender, his political association, or his academic achievements. We might not share any of those things with him, or each other, 
but all of us can share his attitude and approach to the life God called him to live. And if these hints of revival we’re seeing are to continue, all of us need those compelling qualities and there’s more involved than just asking the Holy Spirit to give them to us. Like it or not, the responsibility for our attitude lies more with us than we’re prone to admit. Things like joy, optimism, excitement, and self assurance don’t just happen. There are things we can do to promote them. Here are a few things that may be helpful to consider:
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- Joy isn’t a theatrical performance. It’s a natural, external reaction to the realization of internal treasures, so maybe we should start by reminding ourselves every day of what God has given us.
- Expectant optimism need not be dependent on political victories or financial windfalls. It can sink its roots deeply in the love of the One who was wounded to heal us, broken to make us whole, and who died that we might live. Maybe we should check in on God’s promises about our future more often than on the status of our IRA or 401K.
- The farther we drift from the emotional impact of major commitments, achievements, and covenants, the weaker their influence on our hearts and minds tends to become. Let’s often revisit that moment when we said “I do” to the love of our lives and to the One who loved our lives more than His own.
- The more frequently we review the meaning and benefits of our most valuable assets, the more powerfully they tend to affect our thoughts and behaviors. Time should be invested every day reviewing what we have in Jesus – and what being His really means.
- The more often we remind ourselves of our major purpose in life, the more likely we are to align our choices in concert with fulfilling that purpose. We aren’t here by accident, and though our purpose is different, the price paid to redeem us was the same as Charlie’s.
Because of Jesus, we share the same Father and the same spiritual body as Charlie Kirk, but we don’t have to be little replicas of him or anyone else. We’re the Church of Jesus Christ, the most powerful, unified diversity the world has ever seen. We’re called to engage the world where we are with the same Gospel. Let’s proclaim the same truth, and let’s begin every day with the same compelling joy – and hope.
“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the quotes below. Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .
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- Just as bodies and families make differences functional, so can we. We can take all our distinctives and wrap them in an attitude and an approach to life like the one Charlie Kirk consistently displayed. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- The responsibility for our attitude lies more with us than we’re prone to admit. Things like joy, optimism, excitement, and self assurance don’t just happen. There are things we can do to promote them . . . @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- Expectant optimism need not be dependent on political victories or financial windfalls. It can sink its roots deeply in the love of the One who was wounded to heal us, broken to make us whole, and who died that we might live. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- The more frequently we review the meaning and benefits of our most valuable assets, the more powerfully they tend to affect our thoughts and behaviors. Time should be invested each day to review what we have in Jesus and what being His really means. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- The more we remind ourselves of our major purpose in life, the more likely we are to align our choices in concert with fulfilling that purpose. We’re not here by accident. Though a different purpose, the price paid to redeem us was the same as Charlie’s. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
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