Just a quick thought this morning, but it has ramifications in every aspect of our lives.
Every person represents their church, belief system and spiritual ideas with the life they live by the image they project to their audience.
Yes. We all have an audience. It may be the homeless guy at the corner, or the chef looking on from the kitchen wondering if you liked his creation, or the family down the street who watch you live and worship your God. Every part of your audience has their own belief system, and problems. But they notice you, your life, and the image you project. The words you use, the smile you give, the helping hand you extend. They watch your support system at work around you, how you provide and receive, and eventually, they want to either be like you or run far, far away.
Think about it with me.
Your faithfulness, extravagance, sense of family, friendships, consistency… everything is an open book to your audience. There is no hiding your imperfections to the world. Just as a prospective house buyer looks for curb appeal, your audience gauges you, your God and your Church by what they see in you. Are you a servant of this world, or are you a friend of God?
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants,
for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends,
for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
(John 15:12-15 NKJV)
This morning I woke thinking about certain people and how they exemplify their God, their church, and their spiritual beliefs. They live their lives as if they are friends with the Almighty, but they do not lord their position over others. No. They live to reach out equally to the helpless, widows, down and outers…they are not focusing on only the wealthy, good-looking and important people. Their life is lived as an expressed example of God to the world.
Jesus showed us that no one was above his attention.
The tax collector in the tree, the woman with the medical issue who crawled through the crowds to touch the hem of his garden, the person of ill repute, the sinner, the dead. Everywhere he went he was moved with compassion over their lost condition.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were not willing!
See! Your house is left to you desolate;
and assuredly, I say to you,
you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say,
‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ ”
(Luke 13:34-35 NKJV)
Maybe it’s time we quit focusing on ourselves and our needs and start putting others ahead of us. Paul teaches we are to prefer one another with honor (Romans 12:10) while Jesus is a bit more focused.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35 NKJV)
Maybe we should be more like that Good Samaritan who did what no other religious person would do. He did not look at the quality or heritage of the person in need. He simply had compassion. (Luke 10:33) A parable taught to answer the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) The summation? The one who was a neighbor to the victim by showing mercy. (Luke 10:37)
Put it to Work:
We live in a world of isolation. We rush to our destination without any consideration for the one who will perish if we do not extend ourselves. “Let someone else do it.” The ghost of our answers is standing quietly beside us like that Family Circus cartoon strip showing “Ida Know”, “Not me” and “Nobody”. The solution is NIMBY… Surely, there’s someone else who is at fault, or someone else who can do the job, or even someone else who can simply stand up and say, “It was me…”
I put it into my prayer life to ask God to put me in the pathway of someone who needs him the most. If I believe that prayer could it be you are the one who needs him right now, and I’m standing here to help? That’s what I want my image of my God to be, someone ready to help at just the right time.