Expect Big Things

“God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle”     1 Timothy 2:4,7. St. Paul is absolutely clear that our Lord desires every soul on the campus of NDSU (and in the entire world) to come to know, love, and worship Him while on this earth and to spend an eternity with Him in heaven. But do I really live my life as though God can do that? Are my expectations based on what I think I can reasonably accomplish with my abilities in the limited time that I have? Or are my expectations based on the fact that an all-loving, all-powerful Father will spare no price to save His children (that was already proven 2000 years ago on a cross)? Am I satisfied that nearly 100 students are actively involved in evangelization and several hundred more attend weekly Bible studies at NDSU? What if several thousand students were involved? Wouldn’t it be great if three-quarters of the student body came to a relationship with Christ and were receiving the abundant graces Jesus offers in the sacraments? Absolutely, but would the good shepherd that left the ninety-nine sheep to go after the one would be satisfied? I don’t think so. 

“What are you suggesting we do?” you ask. “Sleep three hours a night so that we have more time to evangelize? Quit our jobs to evangelize full-time? Eat pop-tarts and fast food to cut down on meal time? Get theology degrees?” Well, maybe…but once again we find ourselves placing human limitations on the power of God. The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and bear a son…while remaining a virgin. Mary, clearly without understanding how this would be physically possible, responded with complete faith, “let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). God promised Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Quite the promise, especially since Abraham and Sarah were almost 100 years old, childless, and had been unable to conceive in 70 or 80 years of marriage. Romans 4:19-21 tells us that, “[Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead…no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” As far-fetched as God’s promise may have seemed, Abraham was willing to give the Creator of the universe the benefit of the doubt.  Why aren’t we willing to do the same? How do we get so caught up in our human weakness that we can’t even see the infinite power of God?

 So, what do we do? I suggest we start by praying and fasting as though God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…because after all, that is what Scripture says. “How are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” Romans 10:14-15. It seems that we should start actually sharing the Gospel if we desire others to receive it. And it seems that we should start inviting people to enter the Church, “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tim 3:15). If we pray for mass conversions and evangelize boldly, then we shouldn’t be surprised when God does really, really big things.

 God is all-powerful. God desires all men to be saved. Let’s act accordingly.