The theme for my day has been loving people well. I began listening to a podcast by Todd White (for those of you who know me well, I’m sure you’re surprised) and he was basicallytalking about how easy it is to love people inour daily lives everywhere we go. In fact, it is what we were created to do: love! I’ve made this a practice in my life since going on the World Race and it has become something I try to consciously do throughout my day.
But there was something about listening to this podcast that got me rethinking how much more I can love people well. If I were to honestly face reality I can say that I do not love everyone I come across to the best of my ability. I can do more. I can give more. (Please note this doing isn’t out of necessity, but of love. We are saved through the mercy and graceousness of Christ dying on the cross, not works.) So, I have been inspired today to be on the lookout for more opportunities to love people.
TESTIMONY
So, there I was sitting in this big mega Church on a bench waiting for the doors to open. People were lining the halls chatting, taking their kids to their class rooms, and like me mostly waiting for the doors to open. I prayed, “God, how am I suppose to love people here? In what way should I approach loving people here? Obviously everyone is here for you.”
At that exact moment I heard beside me, “I am a life-long agnostic! Until I see proof that this stuff is real I will remain that way.” There was a man sitting about five feet from me on the same bench and he was speaking to a lady with a name tag on that obviously worked for the Church. – I swear I could hear God joyfully laughing at me, ‘Ask and you shall recieve!’
After they finished their conversation I sat there trying to think of a way to speak to the man. – That was my first mistake: hesitance. – A minute later I asked him if he had been going to the Church here long and made some really pathetic small chat. In my spirit I felt the Holy Ghost prompting me to just tell him that God loves him, but to say it with the fullness of my heart. I didn’t do it… I was afraid that he knew I had heard him say he wasn’t a believer and that I was trying to sell him something, when my heart is purley to share God’s love.
The doors opened and we all had to get up to get our seats. I felt as if I had missed it. More so I felt like a Jehovah’s witness that had an agenda instead of a son of God talking about the love of his Daddy. I know there is grace with God and that stepping out was a good step, but ultimately I knew I hadn’t loved to my fullest potential and was grieved by it.
As the service ended and we were walking down the isle I saw the man I had met earlier and was determined that I was going to pray for him. As I walked up to him I shook his hand and asked his name again. My original intention was to immediatley start praying since I had his hand in mine anyway, but foolishly I asked for permision first. He said, “I prefered you didn’t pray for me, because I don’t even believe that there is a God.” I looked at him and began to tell him God loves him and thinks he is amazing and even told him I loved him. I really meant every word I said, but yet again…I missed it.
I was so wound up in making sure I told this guy that God loved him that I missed his heart intirely! I didn’t stop to think to ask him WHY he doesn’t believe in God and get down to him personally. To him I might have just thrown him my religion instead of giving him relationship!
Now I understand that most people might say that I planted a seed, and you are right in that. But here’s the thing. People are dying everyday that don’t know my Daddy and don’t know how much He loves them and wants them to know Him. Of course He is bigger than me and can make things happen, but He has also given me the priveledge to love for a living. Maybe if I had stopped and showed that guy how much I really cared about him personally, not whether or not he believes my God loves him, he would have seen Christ’s love through me. This stuff is so serious and my heart is wrecked. I was made to love and I don’t care if one day it kills me I’m going to do it. Because people need to know!
