Be Kind!

On Sunday, I challenged our people to be intentional and creative in finding someone to show a random act of God's kindness to. "What's God's kindness," you ask?" Well, that's the kindness that attaches itself to a person for no good reason... it's unconditional, undeserving, and the person is totally unable to pay back what is given.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to give a stranger a ride (not saying I recommend you doing the same)... and, at first, I really didn't want to do it. I was sorta in a rush... places to go, things to do, you know the deal... but I said, "Aw, what the heck! Besides, I'm supposed to be trying to be nice!" (Unfortunately, I didn't have a smile on my face).

Well, Phillip (the dude's name) began to tell me his story... how he'd lost his apartment, job, and car recently, and is just trying to find a job to keep his head above water. He told me about how he'd gotten away from the Lord... not fully trusting Him, especially in the present during this huge crunch. Then, in the 5 minutes that he rode with me, he listened as I shared Scripture (and some food) with him and just tried to minister to him in the power of the Spirit. Phillip went away SUPER EXCITED, with some food in his stomach, and some information about some church in College Park that he's interested in checking out!

Okay... I know someone out there has a "Kindness Story" to share... come on wit it! ;-)

Love Wins, Pt. 1

I was thinking today about the way God loves us... how He never demands us to love Him, and how He always forgives us... no matter what we've done. It's almost unfathomable, because our love for one another doesn't even come close! We love so conditionally (at least, I do) and we can be so unforgiving. Yet, the holy God of the universe - who created us and all that's around us - gets slighted by us countless times a day... and still forgives us anyway!

I love this passage:

"[Love] does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged" (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Now, I have to be honest: that's hard for me to live out! But isn't it a beautiful picture of our great God?? He never forces us or tries to control us into loving Him... He's not moody... and (here's something awesome) He doesn't hold anything over our heads!

Here's another passage that blows my socks off:

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).

I love that! I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to please God - the charges even said so - but Jesus CANCELED THE CHARGES!!! And not just the charges... but even THE RECORD OF THE CHARGES! You won't find any paper trails anywhere about what I've done! I don't have to worry about it "coming back up years from now"! God's not saying, "Let me hold onto this... just in case" - NONE OF THAT! Gone... kaput... forever! No record... no trace...

He could've BUSTED me... but instead, He LOVED me. That... is... huge!

Retaliation doesn't win... love wins!
Bitterness doesn't win.. love wins!
Unforgiveness doesn't win... love wins!

That's the way God is with us... that's the way He wants us to be with others.

Love wins... all the time. YAY, GOD!!!! :-)