I have been overwhelmed...

Lately, it seems all I see is people sitting around, trying to solve our culture's problems and bring about change in a fractured people. This, however, is not a new story...it's as old as civilization. We, as human beings, tend to look around, outside of ourselves, and point fingers and put our thumbs on the trigger points of contention. We try to out-debate and over-intellectualize the woes and brokenness of our social and political divides. But we forget that at the heart of a broken society is a broken people...perhaps the way to solve the problems facing our culture today is to look, not outside, but within...

When you look within, look at your heart, what do you see? 

A good person, perhaps...and who sets the standard for good?

"I've never killed anyone!" is a common response...not physically, perhaps, but what about our words and our thoughts?

Maybe you're quick to help others...only when it's convenient or it doesn't cost too much?

I know that when I look within, when I take a close look at my heart, I see wickedness...I see my selfishness, my anger, my rush to judgment of others, my arrogance and pride...and that's just my short list. I am broken, drowning, and in desperate need of saving! And until I deal with my short-comings, failures, self-centeredness and sin, I can be of no real help to the broken world around me. Sure, I could talk a good talk and put a bandage on some social issues, but hearts are not healed at the root and nothing will ever really change.

Reform is not the answer to today's biggest issues...repentance and humility are!