Is U.S. Occupying Afghanistan?

The American Ambassador to Afghanistan spoke out rather undiplomatically yesterday when Afghan President Hamid Karzai compared the U.S. military to “occupiers.” Considering that nearly 80% of the Afghans want us to leave their country and their President speaks out against our continued military presence, yet we refuse to leave, why should we be surprised that they see as “occupiers?”

The word “occupy” immediately made me think of Jesus’ words in Luke 19:13, “So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas, and said ‘Occupy till I come’.” Other translations say “Do business till I come;” “take what you have and put it to work;” “Make this money grow.” In spiritual currency, then, the word “occupy” means to do the work of the Kingdom with the gifts and calling He has given to you.

Jesus is telling us to “occupy” in the territory where God has planted us, to fulfill our God given destiny, to do the “greater things” (John 14:12) Jesus promised we would do. The question is ‘are we really occupying in our sphere?’ Israel is our example of failure to occupy. They were given Canaan and commanded to “occupy,” but they never did. Why? because of unbelief! (Heb 3:19).  

Perhaps, in that respect, you could say the U.S. soldiers really are “occupying”—they are fulfilling their destiny! Are we? Let us heed Paul’s warning: “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest [occupying His Land] still stands, let us be careful that none of you...fall short of it [our destiny]” (Heb 4:1).

Can One Person Change the World?

This last week, Terry Jones, a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, drew worldwide attention when he proclaimed “9/11” as “International Burn a Koran Day,” threatening to host a Koran-burning ceremony in Gainesville. Before the Internet, CNN, and ‘YouTube,’ the remarks of a little-known, tiny church pastor would have gone unnoticed. But the uproar created by this underscores how we are living in at a time when anyone—one person— really can change the world: for better or worse!

You could argue that this formerly unheard of pastor was just trying to make a difference. But I am just glad the Bible does not mandate me to change THE world, but only to be His instrument for changing the world in which I live—my small sphere.

The Bible says that each of us has been given a sphere of influence. Paul says "God… has determined the times set for [each of us] and the exact places where [we] should live" (Acts 17:26). Moreover, Paul declares that God has “created us… to do the good things [good works] He planned for us long ago [before the world was created!]” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). So then, our sphere is the exact place where we live (where God placed us) and our influence will be in doing the 'good works' He created us to do there. Can one person change the world? Probably. But I am more concerned about changing the one where I live. How are you doing in yours?