Thought Provoked...

It is good to have people challenge your thoughts! For me, it usually provokes thoughts that I wouldn't think otherwise.

Such was the case at a recent Small Group gathering I was leading. The topic of the night was that God is generous. And because God is generous, we don't have to earn his love... he generously gives his love to us!

Somehow, we got to a place in the discussion where someone in the group challenged (a bit) the teaching I have been doing at CoJ for years... that we ARE the hands and feet of Jesus. Their concern was that seeing ourselves as the hands and feet of Jesus might can quickly cross the line and become a way to earn God's love, forgiveness, and our salvation.

It was a good challenge... for it has caused me to think about this deeply. Now after several days, here is what I think.

We can NEVER earn God's love, forgiveness, or our salvation! NEVER! BUT, we must respond to that gift that we are given by a generous God. And that response IS to BE the Hands and Feet of Jesus. To share his love in tangible ways. The tangible ways we share his love are NOT attempts to earn anything. They are RESPONSES to the gift of his love, forgiveness and salvation. It is important to examine our motives for everything we do. But it is also important that our beliefs come alive in the way we live. We are called to Love God and Love People and neither is a way of earning anything. Both are responses to the love God generously shares with us.

John writes in 1 John, that if we say we love God, but do not love our brother, then we are a liar! If I say I love my wife, but don't act in a loving way toward her, then do I really love her? At the end of the day, our love for God and others will be evident in the way we live our lives... it is a response to God's generous love, NOT an attempt to earn a thing!