Sharing love

Romans 12:11 (ESV)

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

In the book The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis takes readers on an imaginary tour of heaven and hell. At one point in heaven, “Sarah Smith” passes by, receiving great honor from many heavenly beings. She received no earthy accolades but was a simple woman who lived in a simple home and showed deep love to every person and every creature she met. Sarah Smith had great spiritual fervor.

There was a man that was asked a few months after his wife committed suicide how he made it, his answer was “It was because of the support system that he had that held him up.” These are some of the behaviors I believe the apostle Paul was talking about when he called us to keep our spiritual fervor:

People listened non judgmentally.

They prayed faithfully.

They understood that grief is not a sign of weakness or lack of faith, but the price of love.

They encouraged him to eat, exercise, and sleep well.

They remained aware of his vulnerability and the uniqueness of each person’s trials.

Loving someone whose life and experiences are very different from our own takes energy, time, and effort. Our spiritual fervor can wane when it costs more of our time or money or energy than we expect. But, in God’s strength, fervent love listens, encourages, and seeks to understand.

Dear Lord, sometimes we tire of loving others. Make our love be a reflection of Your unending love for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Lesson From a Hobo

1 Peter 2:12 (New International Version)

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

I read this story the other day, I’m sure you will agree that it really makes you think.

It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as got out of my car fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked in the church.

As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet, with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all fellowshipped for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man lying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me.

A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened.

In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit where he took off his hat and coat. My heart sank. There stood our preacher ...he was the "homeless man".

No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on his stand. "Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today."

Dear Lord we pray today that our hearts and minds will be open to all those that come our way. We pray that we would be the tool that You can use to show love to them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.