Eric: What do you think? Any ideas? What do you think of this idea?

Tai Sophia Polczynski: “Couch heroes.” =) You know, I was asking my mom about people we’d hung out with who watch really inspiring, heroic movies about doing great things, but who never really try to do something great with their lives and she said, “Well, I guess it’s like people who sit and watch football, but never actually get up and play.” I keep ending up talking to people (Christians) I’ve known for years (since Jr. High or Highschool) who keep putting off what they should do “a few more months” into a few more years . . . And then recently, I was reading some sermons by Hudson Taylor, and I came across this story (on the subject) that really struck me (it’s only a page long so I’ll quote it instead of describing it):

“In 1865 two young men wrote to me from the West of Scotland — nice, earnest, fine young fellows they were. They had both had a good, sound English education. They were engaged in places of business, and filling them very acceptably. The Lord laid upon the heart of each one of them the needs of inland China, and they wrote to me, offering their services in connection with the China Inland Mission. They had never been to college at all. Some of their friends said to them they would make a great mistake if they went to China without going through a regular college course. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I have recommended people to take regular college course before, and I am likely to do it again; but I don’t think it is necessary for every one to have a college course who wants to preach the Gospel. I said: “In China a million souls are dying every month. In seven years there are eighty-four months. While you are fitting yourself, therefore, to go to them, eighty-four millions of those poor Chinese will have passed beyond the reach of the Gospel. My dear friends, if I were in your position I would go straight to China, and preach the Gospel to some of those people as quickly as possible.” A Christian philanthropist, much interested in China, heard of these young men who were anxious to go and labor there, and very kindly said to them: “I will be at charges for you both if you will go first to college, and then to the theological hall. I will bear your expenses, and you will go out to China then well equipped for your service.” They wrote to me, saying: “What shall we do? Shall we consider this a providential opening, and follow it up, or would you still advise us to go forward?”
I just said: “My dear friends, I can’t give you any advice. But during the next seven years eighty-four million so souls in China will pass away from the earth.” One of them went to college, and one went to China. Years passed, and the one that went to China came home and met his fellow a few months before he finished his college course. His fellow seemed to be greatly depressed, and said to him: “Do you know, I have been working all this time to prepare for China; and the doctor says that hard study has broken my constitution, and so the society has refused me, and I am not allowed to go at all.” The other man that had just come home from China had founded fifteen little churches in places where the Gospel had never been heard, and baptized nearly a hundred converts.”

God Bless!!

Alex and Brett have noticed something about our generation that they take issue with — we aren’t living to our fullest God-given potential.

Some of us take issue with the fact that they charge money when in the process of spreading the Truth.

Because they took issue with us, they took a stand and did something to change things — they did something great for us. They inspired us.

I propose this: What if we take their challenge to us by the example they have set through this blog, their book, and their conferences . . . and what if we take a stand and do something about what we take issue with? What if we could challenge and inspire them?

I mean, we are the people they are helping to inspire. What if they just said, without doing hard things themselves, “Hey, how come you guys are all so lazy? Shouldn’t you be doing something? Jesus called us to obey Him regardless of the cost — to take up our crosses and follow Him.” It wouldn’t be very inspiring, would it? I know that I, for one (as a teen), would think it sounded admirable, but since I wasn’t seeing it done — lived — I might not think it’s for me or that it’s really true and practical what they are saying. How would we know that there are rewards to follow our obedience? Why would we want to listen to someone who isn’t willing to listen to themselves, get off their “duffs,” and do what they are telling us is the right thing to do?

What if we applied the things they have taught us and use them to accomplish what God has laid on our hearts to do — to reach the poor, the needy, the lost, the hungry? Could we perhaps, then, inspire them as a gift in return for how they have challenged and inspired us — by living and acting on our beliefs, not just talking about them? Just as it is their ambition to tell people to “Do Hard Things,” maybe it is our God-given ambition to tell the lost, the poor, the hungry, the needy what they REALLY need to hear — the Truth of God’s Love.

If we want them to apply what we are saying to what they are doing, we should apply what they are saying to what we are saying. (I hope I didn’t lose anyone there.) =)

Alex and Brett are only two guys — two human beings. What if you and I acted on what God has caused our hearts to be troubled about . . .

What if every Rebelution conference inspired a free conference (done by us) for the relatively unreached in the same town?

If Brett and Alex have the nerve to act on their convictions . . . well, shouldn’t we? People need to be reached. The Truth needs to be spoken. There is a reason we are convicted about this.

I mean, what do you think? I’ve just been reading about all these causes and at first I was thinking, “Wow, I wish I could be a part of that!” And then I thought, “No . . . I need to start something like that.” I mean, what is stopping us from taking what we have learned and going out and applying it to our convictions. Are we afraid of the unknown? Whatever it is, God can overcome it and He can and will provide what we need. Whatever it is, we need to turn it over to Him and ask Him to make it so that we cannot not act and accomplish what He has created us to do. I just have to do something about my convictions. It’s just . . . well, I was reading what Hudson Taylor wrote before he went to be a missionary in China (as God called him to). He wrote, “I feel as if I could not live if something is not done for China.” That is exactly how I have been feeling these past few months. God has placed convictions on my heart about doing things and reaching people and I feel like I cannot live if I do not do something about these things. That may sound dramatic to you, but it is so how I feel. God has called us, as Christians, to speak the truth, to bring forth justice, to take back what is rightfully God’s that has been stolen by the enemy (or turned over to the enemy by the fall — the disobedience of man). Can ANY of us live without doing exactly that? I sure hope not. Jesus did it all for us. We must take up our crosses and follow in His Footsteps with abandonment of all that would hinder His Plan for our lives — or others. How could we deny Him that? We just can’t . . . I can’t. If I love Him, I must surrender all, do all He asks, treat the cause of glorifying Him as more than worthy of it all.

I have no idea how to go about any of this — except to start by praying that God reveals to me what I am to do and gives me the strength and courage and trust to do it wholeheartedly, 100%.

Brett, Alex: What do you think? I just think that if we really do believe what you teach . . . then this is something those of us who are convicted in this area, or any area, should do — act. Why else would we be convicted and feel compassion for a need but to cause us to act, you know?

Anyway, now I have to try to settle down and go grocery shopping. =)