To Care Enough

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”

This is one quote I have to constantly remember.  I have to ask myself how relatable I am to those around me. Do I speak christianese or am I speaking love?  I believe that many times those can be two completely different languages.  Today I met some pastors who truly live out the title of pastor…and they don’t even like being called that! They prefer that people call them by their first name.  Their humility and ability to love people like Christ loves the church reminded me of purpose.  These pastors have no problem helping out one of their members when they need some yard work done, they will go visit a sick member and clean for them, they take time and reach out when they don’t have to.  No matter the size of the congregation, no matter which member or visitor it is, they are there for their people.  Sadly this is something we don’t see often but something that when seen, will wake you up in a new way.

Their compassion reminded me of this quote I have often brought myself to time and time again.  This pastor realizes and lives out the fact that real ministry is done when you strip yourself of your title, your position and your comfort to get down and do what it takes to make the name of Christ known.  It brings me to think about my purpose for this World Race…for my life.  Am I willing to strip my self from my accomplishments, my titles, my positions to love every person I meet?  No matter where I am, will I choose to live that life? Do I care?  We often get ourselves into a place where comfort surrounds us.  It’s hard to face when we know better, but it happens to all of us at one point or another. It’s like being in a Christian rut that only the renewal of passion can take us out of.  So I ask myself, am I ready for this? Am I truly ready to live the life for His sake and His alone?  

I think about the story in John 13 whe Jesus “took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin.  Then he began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” (John 13: 4-5).  I love thinking about this scripture where you just imagine a man like Jesus getting down and dirty because, once again, He was moved with compassion!  He cared enough about people, time with them, teaching them through His actions, and loving them to not care about washing their feet.  He cared….He just simply cared.  It didn’t matter how it would make Him look or how awkward the disciples might have felt, the master had to teach what I believe was one of the most important lessons of His entire ministry…the lesson of loosing self for others.  Others, others, other! That’s what it’s all about; loving God and loving others, despite what that makes you look like.  So I say yes, yes I care! Yes I will go! Yes I will love and wash the feet of a world whose feet are tired, sore and in need of some major pampering.  It begins now and begins with me.  I will choose to live life for others and give myself at every moment.  I encourage you to know that this is not as crazy or hard as it sounds. Loving God and loving people is simply a choice made when we realize that the one who we are worshipping chose to honor us His love, His actions and His life way before we even existed.  If that’s not enough to move us I don’t know what is.  Let’s care for Him, let’s live for Him, let’s love for Him and run this race…. for Him!