“Angel” means messenger.
Maybe you believe in angels. Maybe you would like to. No matter where you fall, I’m sure you’d like a message from God.
An indication you’ll get through it? A reminder of your purpose? A corrective nudge?
Forget about winged creatures for a moment.
In the Bible, angels are sometimes nondescript figures who show up with a message from God. Maybe khakis and a coffee-stained shirt.
At one point I was feeling like I needed some affirmation. One of the questions reverberating between my ears was, “Am I doing a good job in ministry?”
I went for a run.
And then a strange thing happened.
I was running down a nearly-deserted road in Oro township and found myself approaching a man I had never seen before. He was just standing at the side of the road. No car anywhere in sight, simply dressed, just standing there calmly watching me draw near. His Golden Retriever was sitting beside him. Weird, I thought. As I approached I turned off my iPod in case he said something.
He just smiled at me and said, “You’re doing a good job.”
I said “Thanks!” and kept going. A little later I paused.
Hmmm. It’s what I needed to hear.
Much of the artwork depicting angels is of half-human, half-divine looking figures with wings, like the one above. Caravaggio paints an angel inspiring the writing of Matthew’s Gospel.
But quite often, they blend in. Perhaps like my encourager-on-the-road. Hebrews 13:2 says that we might even host angels “without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).
But there are also invisible beings—many, everywhere—with a mission to encourage, strengthen and protect. When Jesus was enduring his temptation in the wilderness angels “waited on” him (Mark 4:11).
This is a bit of a pensive blog, so allow your mind to breathe.
I think there are angels alongside you right now.
Really.
Hovering above highways and hospital rooms, cradles and cubicles—coaxing compassion from willing partners; healing hearts for a God who loves to get close.
Surely the work of angels requires constant concentration. Hope muscles her way through the naysayers to the edge of a ledge and prepares to fly.
Imagine the Angel Agenda:
- Dignity to every street corner
- Justice to the boardroom
- Peace tethered to the tongue
- Strong families
- Loyal friendships
- Poetry to the mundane
- Prayer in the minds of the many
That’s quite the job description. So what if the angels needed courage too?
And what if your actions—the example of your life—gave that courage? What if you were a sign that their work was not in vain?
When you play team sports, you play for more than yourself. You see someone else playing injured and you up your game. Someone pours in the extra sweat and you respond by stretching your personal limit.
Imagine that your actions bolster the invisible angel armies.
The game matters. Life matters. Eternity matters.
So what if the example of your life was making an impact beyond what your eyes could see? What if you—yes, you—were the reason for an angel’scourage? What if you were evidence that the Agenda was bearing fruit?
Everyone can be someone else’s reason to believe.
