One of my favorite movies of all time takes place in what is considered nowhere, middle America. It is in a cornfield in Iowa where the character, played by Kevin Costner, builds a baseball field when people told him that was stupid.
He heard a voice that said, "if you build it, they will come." Another phrase he heard was, "go the distance." Both were pivotal truths in the movie and in the passion this man and his family had to follow through with what seemed like a stupid and even insane move.
That is much like some of the people we come in contact with each day. Some people don't have much going for them and aren't trying much on their own. Yet I always want to err on the side of grace. I want to give people the opportunity to see and find and experience God.
Our mission team serving this week at the LA Dream Center sat this morning with a couple thousand people, or so it seemed, listening to testimonies of people whose lives have been totally changed by God. At one point each of them were at the bottom of the barrel, at the end of their rope and most people had given up on them. God didn't give up. 10 people graduated from the yearlong program known as Dream Center Discipleship.
Giving people an opportunity to succeed and live life to the fullest is what our God is about. Do you give people a chance? Are you building people up or tearing them down?
We are called to "go the distance" when it comes to dealing with people. Yet so often we put a higher value on our possessions than we do our relationships. What is going to make it into eternity with or without God is people. We can and must help people find their way to God and find success.
Go get 'em. Build 'em up every chance you get. There is no telling how many people you will be able to help if you just go the distance!
We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
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