Have I Left Room?

     As I sat in church this morning, listening to our Pastor talk about the "No Ordinary Love" of Jesus, I was struck with a sobering question.  Have I left room? 
     As the message rolled out, we were brought to Matthew 8:1-3, where Jesus is approached by a Leper.  Jesus had just finished His biggest sermon and was being followed by crowds when He was approached.  This is a story I am familiar with, nothing I have not heard, but we were asked, "Why did Jesus touch the Leper?"  Hmmm.  "Jesus could have healed the Leper without touching Him." Yes, yes He could have, so why DID He touch the Leper? 
     After speaking on a mountain and being followed by crowds, certainly a quick nod would have been easier.  But the Leper needed more than healing, he needed extravagant love.  The kind of love that was not limited by the stigma of leprosy.  He needed to be touched. 
     Everyday I see a need.  A need for food, a need for love, a need for a job, a need for clothes, a need for a hug, a need for a listening ear.  Have I left room to love?  Is my calendar too full to love?  Is my budget to tight to love?  Is my heart too decided to love?  Am I too self-centered to love? 
     I am not talking about love the feeling, I am talking about love the action.  Love like Jesus showed
the Leper.   Because if I love Jesus like I say I do, NOTHING should hold me back from meeting the needs I see.  Not my full calendar, not my self-serving budget, not my selfish, judgmental heart.  I have to make room.  Room on my calendar, room in my budget, room in my heart for "No Ordinary Love".


Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  "I am willing," He said.
Matthew 8:3


Comments

  1. the other side of the coin...

    Balance is the key, not allowing it to swing too far either way.

    Yes we can be too self centered , too lazy etc.
    What we need most is to be aware of God's leading and listening to his voice.

    He will lead us in what to do and when to do it.
    Satan likes to make us defeated Christians.
    One way he does that is over commitment and the other is false guilt.

    If We are too busy for our own family or to spend time alone with God then Satan has won.

    Years ago the Lord showed me it was ok to say no. That my first ministry is my family. If my health and energy allowed for more then it was ok to do something in the church,,,one thing at a time. Giving myself time to pray about it and consider the commitment.

    The other lesson was not to be so quick to jump in because there may be someone else waiting in the wings who is more shy or unsure that God wants to develop and I may be getting in God's way by jumping in without time and prayer first.

    Only God can be all things to all people.
    We can only touch those he puts in our path or he leads us to.
    Satan would love to tip the scales and get us out of balance.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts