love people who don't like us

It is a real honor AND IT IS A LOT OF FUN to love on people. Just to watch people's reaction to being nice to them does something to me. We have been there. We've seen people who have been at the end of their rope find hope. We've touched lives we didn't even know we were touching.

But what happens when there is no difference between me and the person I am serving? That is not a question about class or situation of life. It is a question of how I live, how we act with or without God. Has Jesus changed our lives? Lets take a closer look at this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) --- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Colossians 2:6 (NASB) --- Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

Am I different? Do others see that I have changed? It is not a choice but a happening that when we come to Jesus something changes inside of us … Jesus moves in. We are forgiven. But also something BEGINS to change on the outside. Starts with our attitude and continues with our actions.

One of the things we have to understand when we examine our love for people and how we show that love is that people who are seeking God and following God act and live differently than those they encounter in the world. Did you hear that? Why would anyone want to know or follow Jesus if there was nothing different about us?

God has called us to love the people we come in contact with. He didn't say to love those who love you. He didn't say love those who are like you. He didn't say love those who are easy to love. He said to love everyone. Even those people who throw stuff at us.

Luke 6 (GWT)

22,23 --- Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because you are committed to the Son of Man.Rejoice then, and be very happy! You have a great reward in heaven. That's the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

35 --- Rather, love your enemies, help them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward. You will be the children of the Most High God. After all, he is kind to unthankful and evil people.

That is a powerful statement about loving people who do not like us. By the way, that is not a choice. It is a command. It is hard. But God called up to love people who don't like us.

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Search This Blog