Who will you be?

Read Luke 10:25-37

In the story of the Good Samaritan, there are a few questions that are asked. Two of them are asked by the lawyer and the other by Jesus. The lawyer asks “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” They have a conversation and the lawyer quotes the law. Then he asks another question “Who is my neighbor?” And Jesus proceeds to tell a story which probably shocked all of them. At the end, Jesus says “Now which one was a neighbor to this man?” The lawyer says “The one who showed him mercy.” 

I find it interesting that the lawyer started the conversation saying “What must I do?” Maybe he wanted a list, or an item, something he could do to check the box and be done. But in the end, his answer was “The one who showed mercy.” In the TPT version it says “The one who demonstrated kindness and mercy.”

Jesus flipped this so it wasn’t a checklist item but instead, it was something to be. You can’t be a neighbor by checking the box. You can’t love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself as a one-time task. It takes investment. It takes sacrifice. Jesus was saying to this man, inheriting eternal life isn’t about how you perform….it is about loving. Better yet, it’s about being love.

The funny thing is, when you love God, you will do the right things. Not because you have a list that you are following but because you are moved with the love of Jesus. I love it that Jesus basically asked the man “Who will you be?” It’s a question we should ask ourselves every day. Who will I be? Will I be a person that puts loving God first? Will I love my fellow humans the way the Jesus loved me? 

If I am truthful, I am more comfortable with a checklist. It’s easier to manage. But I am more fulfilled with being what Jesus wants me to be. “Being” brings me more joy. Even though it’s harder, I think I’d like to focus on being rather than doing. 

Who will you “be” today?

Love Isn't Always Easy

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)

Our church is doing a merger. We are joining two congregations together into one church. Everyone has said this is really hard to do. And it’s different.

Two different cultures, two different sets of people who do not do things in the same way. You can imagine that this might not be a totally smooth process. Right?

But I’ve witnessed something amazing as we walk through this. And I believe it’s what the Bible talks about when it talks about unity. Unity doesn’t mean everyone looks the same, thinks the same or acts the same. It doesn’t mean that you get to the goal using the same methods. It means that you walk together toward the goal while loving each other.

And what is that goal? Jesus. We all want to be a church that is following the mission of Jesus, to go and make disciples.

Each of us is specifically created by God to be who we are. Each of us is different by God’s design. I was designed to love you with my heart (not my sister’s or my friend’s.) And hopefully, I am loving you in a way that reaches your heart. We don’t have to show love to each other in the same way but, we do need to love with Jesus’ heart.

When you are sitting in a room of 20 people, discussing the path the body should take, it’s not all going to look the same. There will be different opinions, different beliefs. But, with prayer and continued conversations, taking into account the mission you are on together and other people’s perspectives, eventually you get to the place where you agree.

It’s a process. Love is a process. Following God is a process. I love how God designed us so that during that process we all are different but walk together with the same focus. And when you see it, it is a beautiful thing!

Significance

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (ESV)

The NLT version of this text says:

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

When I read that, I think “I do that.” For the most part. But when I read the ESV version, I stop. I pause to consider what it means to think of others more significant than myself. And I don’t think I do. The difference between the two versions is subtle. And maybe for some, it’s not a big deal. But I began to wonder.

When I help someone that is in need. Am I doing it because I see them as more significant or because I am more significant because I can?
When I follow what God is telling me to do and I see others that aren’t, who do I put in the “more significant” category?
When I do the ministry that God is calling me to, does the thought creep into my mind that I am significant because I do it? Where does that put everyone else?

Then, I start thinking about Jesus. He was more significant - way more significant because he was God. And yet, when I think of my relationship with him, when I think of how much he loves me, I don’t feel insignificant at all. He loved me so well that even when I compare myself to HIM, I still feel significant.

I want to love others like that. I want to love so well, like Jesus did, that no matter what I am doing, who I am interacting with or what I am thinking, they feel truly significant.

Lord Jesus, I need your help.

Heaven Looks Like This

He is the embodiment of our peace, sent once and for all to take down the great barrier of hatred and hostility that has divided us so that we can be one. Ephesians 2:14 (VOICE)

This week I have been privileged to attend a Christian conference. This conference is about growing God’s Kingdom. It’s about how we, as Christians, are to follow God’s mandate to “Go.” We dive into the Bible and see what God has charged us to do and then we talk about it (in lots of different forums.)

Each year God impresses me with the next step in my journey and to tell you the truth, I have not met one person that has not experienced God impressing something on their heart while here. But that’s not what continually amazes me.

My absolute favorite part is that Gods Kingdom is represented by many nations, tongues, races and denominations. When we come together to celebrate, the room (about 5,000 people) is full of people from many countries, who speak various languages, who have different beliefs and who look different on the outside. But not on the inside.

On the inside we all have one desire; we are here for one thing. We are here to celebrate Jesus but we are also reminded of our mission. Our mission is to love each other and see each other as brothers and sisters. Our mission is to take our love and share the gospel with as many brothers and sisters as we can because the King of our lives told us to.

As I stand in a sea of people and hear the Word of God, as we sing and praise together, I am reminded that this is what Heaven will look like. All of God’s people standing together with one purpose….to worship our King.

I truly wish that our world would live like this. That we would remember that we are all God’s children. We are all beautiful Masterpieces in the Father’s eyes. I long for the day when we stand together united, loving one another and celebrating each other.

We are not in heaven yet but we can have heaven here on earth. It starts with each one of us who believe in the sacrificing love of Jesus Christ living that love in our world. It starts with us refusing to give in to the lies that permeate our world that tell us we have to be separate because we are different. We must live the way Jesus lived. Loving everybody always.

Facing Your Fears

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.   Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” John 4:28-30, 39 (NLT)

The woman in this story came to the well at midday....which was odd because all the women of the town came early in the morning. They socialized, caught up with each other and cemented their sense of community.  This woman could not go with everyone else. She had a reputation in the town and no one would talk to her. It must have been very painful to be at the well and be ignored so she went later when she could ignore her life.

When she met Jesus though all that changed. She left her jar on the well and ran back into the town to tell everyone who she met.  She ran into the very life that she was running from to share her Good News. She forgot about what she thought of herself and what they thought of her.

Jesus is funny like that.  He knows all of our weaknesses, our fears and what stops us cold. He knows where we need to grow and just how to get us to do it.

Are you someone hiding from a reputation? Or are you afraid of something that is so deeply ingrained in you that you couldn't possibly move past it? Do you have something in your life that is holding you back that you should let go of? Friend, these are all the places that Jesus is going to work. He's going to meet you exactly where you are and move you past that place.

Will it be scary? Most definitely. Will you think you can't do it? Yep. But the one thing you can always count on as you walk into this journey you are on with Jesus, he's walking right beside you. He has not left you alone in the middle of your fear. He's holding your hand.

So, leave your jar at the well and run into the very thing you are running from. The adventure will be amazing.