If you had the power to change everything for those whom you love, where would you start?
As we look at our families, we will all see a very wide range of people and personalities. There are the introverts, the extroverts, the generous, the greedy, the kind, the grumpy. There are those we are naturally drawn to, and others, well, not so much.
But as we look at all of them, our deepest wish for all of them would be that they would find purpose, happiness, joy, and a sense of self-worth among other things. We'd enjoy seeing good things happen for those whom we love, wouldn't we?
Imagine for a moment that your entire extended family was sitting down at a restaurant for a beautiiful dinner. You're sitting at the table, looking around the room, when a stranger walks up, introduces himself, then sits with you and says that he's a man of substantial wealth, and he's here to help your family in away way you wish. He talks to each of you seperately, asking what your greatest needs are, what your biggest dreams contain, what your hopes for your future are.
And let's assume, for the sake of this story, that he's perfectly sane...........Sorry, I just had to throw that one out there because most of you would immediately think this guy was nuts.
What if, during the weeks that followed this strange meeting, you began to see this man show up when you needed him most, and act in such a way that changed everything to the positive in your life? As months and years passed, you could look back over time and see an incredibly consistent track record where he showed up time and time again. Be it good times or bad, in sickness or in health, he was always there for you.
What if, as he was doing this, you heard other family members speak of how he had done the same in their lives? Even the one's who've rubbed you the wrong way. They would go on for hours about how he showed up exactly when they needed him, and exactly how they needed him at the time, blessing them time and time again. Would you doubt them when they said he was doing these things? Would you somehow assume that you had a connection with this man that was more substantial or meaningful than the others? Or would you want to hear more and more stories from them, speaking to them about what a wonderful man he was for doing all of this for your family, who had done nothing to deserve such splendid treatment?
Well, look around, friends, because that's exactly what's happening in your church. The church is very much a family, and within that family, you have the same types of family members as you'll see in your own family. You'll see "a very wide range of people and personalities. There are the introverts, the extroverts, the generous, the greedy, the kind, the grumpy. There are those we are naturally drawn to, and others, well, not so much."
And in the midst of these people, there is God. Just like the restaurant story above, He showed up in the lives of every member of your church, introduced Himself, and asked that you share all of your thoughts, dreams, goals, and deepest desires for your life with Him.
Within every person who walks through those doors on Sunday morning, He has placed some sort of a desire to know Him. If He hadn't........... they wouldn't be there. He's working in every one of their lives at some level, at varying depths, for various reasons. But He's working in all of us. And when we gather on Sundays, we're there for the same reason. To learn more about Him, to speak of Him, to thank Him, and to sing praises to Him. That's why Paul encouraged the Colossian church in the following manner:
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
I didn't read anything in there about assuming that God is working in our lives in more profound or substantial ways than the person sitting next to us, or that our relationship with Him is somehow more meaningful or deep than theirs.
We are all called by the same God, for the same purpose -- which is His alone. Let's meet each other there, feeling overwehlmed with the fullness of the grace He has shown each of us, in our own lives, and in His own way, and let's rejoice together over that, for ourselves as well as for each other.
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