I've re-learned somthing this week.
Tuesday we were in Washington D.C. Talked to an ambassador from Africa who is a Jesus follower. Talked to the number one nuclear physicist in the world, who is Korean and who is a Jesus follower.
Okay, really, talked to men all day Tuesday who influence world leaders, who are Jesus followers.
And, they talked to me. They hugged me as they left. Because I was a friend of their friend, I was now a friend to them. I didn't have to prove how smart I was, or how spiritual I was, and it certainly wasn't because of my beauty that qualified me. Each conversation was so encouraging.
Jesus followers that....loved. Think of that.
In our church world we hear a lot of the qualifiers to be acceptable to people. Too spiritaul, not spiritual enough, too traditional, too contemporary, too transparent, not transparent enough.
What times like this week does to my heart is help me re-learn simplicity.
Jesus.
Jesus who was willing and IS willing to walk life with people exactly where they are right now. Today. Willing to love them where they are right now. Does that kind of love change us? YES IT DOES.
Jesus.
Oh Jesus - thank you for the reminder to be a person who loves - not because of anything other than You said to love. Thank you for the reminder that I can't keep trying to DO MORE to be acceptable to others, especially Christians. It's You, it's Your Name that brings freedom. I trust You, LORD, and am so grateful - SO GRATEFUL for anyone and everyone who shows me what Your love looks like.
Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Tuesday we were in Washington D.C. Talked to an ambassador from Africa who is a Jesus follower. Talked to the number one nuclear physicist in the world, who is Korean and who is a Jesus follower.
Okay, really, talked to men all day Tuesday who influence world leaders, who are Jesus followers.
And, they talked to me. They hugged me as they left. Because I was a friend of their friend, I was now a friend to them. I didn't have to prove how smart I was, or how spiritual I was, and it certainly wasn't because of my beauty that qualified me. Each conversation was so encouraging.
Jesus followers that....loved. Think of that.
In our church world we hear a lot of the qualifiers to be acceptable to people. Too spiritaul, not spiritual enough, too traditional, too contemporary, too transparent, not transparent enough.
What times like this week does to my heart is help me re-learn simplicity.
Jesus.
Jesus who was willing and IS willing to walk life with people exactly where they are right now. Today. Willing to love them where they are right now. Does that kind of love change us? YES IT DOES.
Jesus.
Oh Jesus - thank you for the reminder to be a person who loves - not because of anything other than You said to love. Thank you for the reminder that I can't keep trying to DO MORE to be acceptable to others, especially Christians. It's You, it's Your Name that brings freedom. I trust You, LORD, and am so grateful - SO GRATEFUL for anyone and everyone who shows me what Your love looks like.
Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
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