Did you know that God created us all unique to His will that we are for a special purpose?
We may not all have been asked to step into the ministry but we all have been called if we say we are believers in God. We all have jobs to do. We have been called by God to be a light in this world. Did you ever notice that no matter how darkness surrounds us that something as small as a match can keep the darkness out, but nothing can put out the light no matter how dark it gets?
Imagine what would happen if there were more Christians in the government willing to let their light shine?
Do you know that Jesus washed people's feet? If you really think about it, it was a pretty messy and dirty job. Yet we can all be feet washers. Not in the literal sense but I am talking about getting involved with messy people.
People who can use some love and encouragement in their life.
Too often however, we are afraid to talk to people who don't act or talk like us. Yet if we can't find something to say to people, we truly don't know anything and are useless. You can't say Good Morning or Hello to someone?
Once we find ourselves stuck in our habits, it's hard to get unstuck. But we need to keep trying.
Joyce Meyer is quoted as saying "I want to be the coolest old person ever!"
We need to learn how to fellowship with people and the more different they are, the more we should like it.
It's amazing how much God will bless you if you just step out in faith and try ~ if you just get rid of your religious phony baloney!
Sometimes when you ask people about God, they tell you that they are 'spiritual'. What that simply means is that they are trying to find the answer and they are looking for the love of God and the truth, and they are not finding it.
Are we too busy looking to clean the fish without catching it first?
That's what overly religious people do, look for people to clean up, judging them and criticizing them because they are not like the rest of us.
1 Corinthians 5:9-12, "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?"
It's not what goes into you that defiles you, it's what comes out.
We can’t hide from unbelievers because they make us uncomfortable. What these verses are asking us to do is for us to not hang out with believers not unbelievers. Don’t judge others, but look at yourself and the people you hang out with.
The people who are like us, act like us and talk like us, believers, are there for us when we need encouragement and motivation to continue to be lights in this world to those who don’t know Jesus yet!
Luke 15:1-2, “Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
This verse is stating to not get intimately involved with unbelievers, sharing personal details about your life and your family.
Jesus came for the sick not the healthy. Don’t compromise yourself but don’t hide also.
Consider the rest of Luke 15:3-24
Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
The story begins with 100 things. Out of 100, one is lost. It’s still valuable. Then the story turns to 10 in 1, even more valuable and thus finally 2 of 1 and the response is still the same, rejoicing when lost people get found.
They need people to love them. To meet their needs. To show them patience. Whether sheep, coins or sons, we all have value and none is insignificant that they don’t need to be found.
Love is helping people on purpose.
Job 29:16 “ …the cause of him I did not know. I searched out.”
Let us all keep up the search and continue to be spies for God.
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