Everything changed in 24 hours.
Sunday social media was flowing with posts surrounding the NFL players taking a knee for our great National Anthem. Our news feeds dripped with division as many proudly proclaimed their view, whether it was for or against the protest. No matter where you stand, to me it looks like evil has won.
Sunday, Satan pushed us to take sides. His lies are convincing. “If you take a knee, you hate America,” he whispers in our ears. “If you stand to honor America, you hate those of a different skin tone.”
Neither are true.
The lies seem like truth until we step back and realize we aren’t wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness (Ephesians 6). In this fight, Satan has chosen two of the most offensive things to disrespect: race and America. And it seems as if America has bought his lies. No doubt there are convincing arguments on both sides, but the only thing the discussion has been successful in is dividing the country, not in fighting against racism or fighting to respect our National Anthem.
A country severely divided makes evil cheer.
Sunday night news broke of an active shooter in Las Vegas; evil again warring over defenseless humans. The social media posts quickly shifted. We no longer disagreed with our brothers and sisters over the NFL; rather, we poured out our messages of prayer, well-wishes and heartache for the city of Las Vegas.
In one moment our priorities shifted. In the entire day of news coverage, I never heard one eye witness say they didn’t help someone in need due to their color or their lack of respect for the National Anthem. On the contrary, many were desperately courageous and brave and some even risked their lives to rescue a fellow human being.
The fight over whether to take a knee or not was irrelevant. Lives were on the line. It’s in those times, division isn’t the priority. Unity is.
Public opinion has made a complete 180 degree turn in the last 24 hours.
The same people arguing over the protest are now praying for those affected, even though they may have been on the other side of the debate. Division suddenly isn’t the theme of our social streams. Tragedy gives us true perspective. For most of us, our opinions take second chair when we see our fellow Americans suffer.
Remember believer, when Satan can get you to engage in his fight to divide, he takes pride in you. His goal is to disable the ultimate gift, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are chosen to bring it and share it, but if we are too busy fighting with those who oppose you, how will you be affective for the Lord. Satan is fighting for your effectiveness with the Gospel, and if you engage, you may lose the people you were purposed to save.
Las Vegas was a wake-up call to remind us how important the Gospel is.
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Autumn Miles is the author of “Appointed: Your Future Starts Now” and the founder and CEO of The Blush Network, a conference ministry dedicated to spiritually challenging the way women think. Autumn is an accomplished speaker who leads women’s conferences nationwide through The Blush Network. She is also the host of “The Autumn Miles Show,” a Christian radio show on Salem Radio Network in Dallas, Texas and sits on the advisory council for the women’s ministry department at Liberty University.