Jay N Smith's Blog

I recently saw an article about a Chicago priest that identified him as an “activist”.  I started thinking about what that means.  I typically picture that as someone who campaigns for liberal causes, but it made me think: should I be an activist?

On the face of it, an “activist” is someone who “activates” others.  The emphasis is not so much on their personal activity but rather on how well they can motivate others to become active and involved in a particular cause.  Then it struck me – all preachers should be activists!  They should activate – motivate – others to take some action.  It would rarely or never involve attending a rally or parade, but nonetheless, we as preachers must be activists of our congregation.

We must ask the Holy Spirit to activate them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to motivate them to live in a manner consistent with their salvation.  It should strike us that the metaphor the apostle Paul used for the outworking of our faith most often was that of walking – περιπατεω – an active picture!  We are instruments used by God to activate His people for His purposes.  Ultimately, God is doing the hard work – the heart work, but we are activists.