On Standby

In psychology we have this very "scientific" term: the Bystander Effect. It literally is just what it sounds like. When an event occurs in a public space, those who observe tend to stand around and expect that someone else is going to take care of it. Example: a kid is being bullied at school. The other kids watch, laugh, encourage the bully, or in the very rare case, stand up for the kid. Thus, the bystander effect.

A few days ago God brought to my attention the way that the bystander effect occurs in His church, too. More often than not (in general), church members don't go out of their way to make a difference, be it by serving the pastor, greeting visitors, hugging the hurting, playing with kiddos, or even cleaning the bathrooms. I am blessed to be a part of a church where doing these things is second nature to most members, but it wasn't too long ago that I was attending a church where things like this went undone and people went uncared for because everyone was expecting someone else to do it.

Think about when someone is on standby for a flight. That person is completely passive, just waiting for the gate attendant to announce whether they have a spot on the flight or not. When we are "standby Christians" we are passive, just waiting for someone to tell us what we want to hear or give us what we need. The problem is that Christianity is not a passive faith. Can you imagine if Jesus had been a bystander? Things would be a lot different than they are today: the world wouldn't know of God's saving grace, chances are Jesus wouldn't have been crucified, and it is likely that you wouldn't be you.

God has called us to be more than bystanders. The very definition of our faith in Christ requires that our works follow that faith. Christ was a servant before He was anything else, and to stand by and watch others in need and do nothing is being like the Pharisees in the Bible. (Jesus wasn't a huge fan of them, btw.) Instead, we have a call to action. The very purpose of our lives on this earth is to point to our Heavenly Father, Creator, and King in every aspect of our lives. As a good friend of mine said the other day, "We're only here as vessels for God. This life isn't about us at all."