Imagine what the world would be like if people lived as Jesus
did? Followers of Jesus, motivated by their personal experience of God’s love,
insist on pressing selfless and extravagant love into the darkest, most broken
places of the world, no matter what the cost, no matter what the obstacles, no
matter what the man-made boundaries. They do it compassionately, boldly,
creatively, and persistently because it’s what Jesus did and they follow him.
His love compels them and empowers them. That’s what it means to be a
Christian.
Remember the previous
story about the children lined up for lunch in the cafeteria of their
religious school? Imagine the atmosphere created among the kids if the sign
above the bowl full of apples read, “Take as many as you want. God is watching.”
And then at the end of the line, above the tray of cookies, another sign said, “Take
as many as you want. God is watching these, too.” And at each station, the teachers
were there smiling and laughing as they gave an abundance of apples and cookies
to every student. What picture of God would these children begin to develop?
What example of living would the teachers (the God followers) be exhibiting?
Would that be the kind of environment you’d enjoy spending
time in? Would those be the kind of people you’d like to hang around and maybe
even help serve with?
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