Thursday, October 30, 2014

Go Love!

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." 2 Corinthians 5:20


We live in a mean world. Have you noticed? The young especially seem to have a galling lack of compassion at times. It's not just the young, though. People in general seem rich in anger and poor in patience. The tongue is quicker to find fault than give the benefit of a doubt. Shoulders carry chips so big it's inevitable that they get knocked off.

Why? 

People are hurting, that's why. Many rarely experience genuine kindness unattached to ulterior motives. Folks are afraid to trust so they wear the breastplate of meanness for protection. It keeps hurt out, but it locks love out, too! What a lonely way to live!

Enter you to their rescue!

Yes, you! 

You're riding on a white horse of humility, and your face shines with the love of Christ.  In your hand is a taste of love and kindness that is your unique recipe. The world is starving for it. 

They may be suspicious for a while, but you have nothing to hide. You are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10) so you have no ulterior motives for caring other than to show them where they can find love too. 

There is a shortage of people like that so you might seem like an alien to them at first.  Love on, My Sister! Be an outpost of kindness in the desert of meanness and indifference at your workplace, in your neighborhood, and even in your family.  

Where else will they see it if not in you? If you don't reach out, how will they know hope? Yes, it's that serious. 

Your offering matters because they need what God has given you--Himself. 

Now, go love!






Thursday, October 16, 2014

When You Do Your Ugly Cry


"Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me." Psalm 27:7

It's true.  People can get tired of you, or maybe they don't have time for you. They have problems of their own, and the weight of them oftentimes leaves no room on the scale to add yours. Sometimes they love you so much that listening to you cry makes them uncomfortable because there's nothing they can do to help. They are human, and they were not built to be everything to you.

 Only God can do that.

So go to Him. Take your wig off and do your ugly cry. Babble on as long as you need to, He doesn't have somewhere else He needs to be. Walk-ins are always welcome, and both sides of His sign on the door say OPEN.

He's not limited by time or space so He's with you in the car as soon as you call, and He's in that tight space when your head is under the covers at 3 a.m. Bless His Name!

You can't wear Him out or fear He'll label you "needy" and gradually pull away.

No need to preface everything with a history to bring Him up to speed. Jump right in and pour your heart out. His Spirit even fills in the right words when your heart can't find them.

Go ahead.  Call on Him.

Your ugly cry isn't ugly to Him!


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Don't Ever Forget It

 "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19

I have been car shopping, and I hate it. Trying to find a good car that fits my budget is like making a skirt in size 3 and then searching for a hippo that can fit in it!

The cars I CAN buy do not seem worth it. They are ugly, or they have too many miles, or the stories surrounding them sound fishy.  I cannot throw hard-earned money away on this. Even when the price is low, it's too high considering the trouble I'll have later.

You were like that when Jesus found you. I was, too.

 We were ugly in our hearts; the black mold of sin was so thick it was hard to see anything else.

The itemized spreadsheet of all our daily wrongs could cover too many miles of highway. If you and I could read the story God read of what He'd be getting into if He got involved with us, "fishy" would be a mild word to describe it.

He bought us anyway.

He turned your price tag over and it read... BLOOD. You already know it was not just any blood.

He said, "I'll pay it."

Aren't you glad?

On the days you feel frustrated that you failed again, don't forget this.

When you feel like the least of the least, or you wonder why you should even try, don't forget  the price He paid for you.

In His eyes, you were not worthy, yet you were worth it.

Don't ever forget it.

Tell Me: What do you do in response to this truth? It makes me want to kiss His feet and live to make Him proud.