“Everyone’s a hero somewhere else.”
It’s a question so many ask after hearing of the many miracles the Lord has done elsewhere in the world-usually in one of the poverty-stricken developing nations. Sometimes it seems as though the Lord we serve is The God Of Somewhere Else.
What we must not do is change our theology to suit our circumstances-conclude that the God who created our world wound it up like a watch and left it to wind down-simply because He didn’t appear to answer our prayers! When we change what we believe to match our circumstances, an ever-present Mother Nature-so often worshipped on the Discovery Channel-soon replaces an apparently distant Father God.
Those who’ve ministered overseas and laid hands on the sick for healing-and seen many miracles-return home to be confronted by the Every One is a Hero Somewhere Else syndrome. “Do here in your own town what we hear you’ve done elsewhere.” (Luke 4:23) Or, as the old proverb puts it, “Charity begins at home.” But yet another old proverb has the answer to that- “Familiarity breeds contempt.”
In stark contrast is the attitude of the woman who said within herself, ‘If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be healed.’ She set a point of contact for the release of her faith-a switch that allowed the Lord’s healing power to flow into her body. In so doing, she reversed the theology that said “God works in mysterious ways”-the only mystery is why so few believers still haven’t proven what every electrical apprentice learns on his first day-all that’s needed for power to flow into something is some wiring and a switch!
“Faith in action is the spiritual switch-mechanism that accesses the anointing and pulls power-all of God’s abilities are locked into His responses to our faith actions.” (E W Barfoot)
Miracles will happen here when-like the famished widow of Sidon and the leprous Naaman-we regard the Lord with much less familiarity and much more desperation!