On Loving Others

"The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people . . . God himself thought they were worth dying for."

Acts 20:26

This week, I've been working on seeing people how God sees them. As you can imagine, this is going great!

...Not.

If you're like me (a human) you probably struggle to see people in their best light. we're quick to judge people for cutting us off in traffic, being rude in line at the grocery store, taking too long at the DMV, etc, etc, etc. All kinds of things get us irritated with the people around us.

I've started praying something simple each day: "Lord, give me Your eyes and Your heart. Give me a mind and a heart to do Your work. Show me Your heart. Let me see people how You see them."

I pray this in the morning and get in my car. I have this thought fresh in my mind when I start my day, but it doesn't take long for my mind to wander and completely forget this goal.

I find it's especially hard to see God's love in those closest to me. It's easy to look at a stranger in the car next to me at a red light and think, "Wow. God loves them so much." But when those nagging habits come out in my family members, it's easy to get frustrated and focus on that. I never seem to remember to look with God's eyes at those closest to me.

But let me share that verse again: "God himself thought they were worth dying for."

Wow. "Remember, when you see these people, God died for them. God loved them so much that God went to the ends of the earth, even to death, to show that love."

The New Testament indeed preaches a universal gospel. This library of scripture is no longer a story of a chosen people called to slaughter cities and take the survivors as slaves and concubines. Jesus preached and his earliest followers continued preaching a universal gospel - one where every single person is loved by God.

No more do we see a tribal god who knew before they were formed in the womb only his own people. Now, we see a God who created and knows and loves the whole world.  

Further, Jesus told us that every person we see is not only loved by him, but like HIM.

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Matthew 25: 34-40 

Actually, he said that every person we serve IS him.

Mother Teresa famously served the poorest of the poor in India. When people asked her how she did it, she responded, "This is Jesus in his most distressing disguise."

When we feed those who are hungry, we feed Jesus. When we welcome those who are strangers among us, we welcome Jesus. When we clothe those in need of clothing, we clothe Jesus. When we visit those who are sick and in prison, we visit Jesus. When we serve those in need, we serve Jesus. When we love anyone, we're loving Jesus.

And when we turn any of these away - we reject Jesus.

Every person we see is Jesus. Every person should be treated as if they are the God of the universe.

Wow.

Started with a goal to "see others as God sees them." Then realized "everybody is Jesus."

Guess I'll have to work a little harder to overcome that road rage.




Ways to serve Jesus right where you are:

• Make blessing backpacks for the homeless. Click here for some ideas of what to include.
• Volunteer at your local food kitchen or homeless shelter.
• Renew the practice of bringing a casserole to welcome new families to the neighborhood. 
• Clean out your closet and donate gently used clothes, coats, and shoes to a local clothing agency. 
• Visit people in hospitals or nursing homes.
• Visit people in prison. Or, if you're worried about safety, sign up to bake cookies! Click for more information.
• Call your representatives to tell them you want legislation that feeds the hungry, welcomes strangers, clothes the naked, cares for the sick, and treats those in prison with justice and kindness. Click here to find your representative in the House. Click here to find your Senators.
• TITHE. Whether it's to your local congregation or to your favorite charity, reclaiming the Old Testament practice of tithing the first 10% of our income to the work of the Lord is a powerful way to affect our world for good. Check out my favorite charity here. They partner with local organizations to help Syrian refugees, hurricane victims in Texas and Puerto Rico, low-income schools, and more - and because they're run completely by volunteers, 100% of donations go to those in need.