I remember what it was like to be a new Christian. Not a new member of a church, not the first time I watched the Passion of the Christ movie ... but what it felt like to trust Jesus. I was around 30 years old when I knelt on the bottom stair of my split foyer home and admitted to God that I needed Him in my life. This changed a number of things for me. I remember doing "crazy" things like withdrawing twenty-dollar bills from the ATM and shoving them in the coat pockets of my unsuspecting co-workers. When they turned off their computers and put on their jackets to head home for the night, the surprised look on their face and stunned silence was it's own reward. I would just keep quiet and giggle from my cubicle across the hall. I was joyful toward God and life, and ready to save the world!
Since then a number of years have gone by (without telling you my age!). Why had I done those types of things? Because I was happy to be alive. Happy to be under God's grace. Happy to be forgiven and free, all at the same time. I have been thinking about this alot lately. Why don't I do those things anymore? After all, God is still faithful - and I am still His, right?
I think many of us forget what it is like to have freedom in Christ. We get caught up in the throes of raising a family and going to work, paying bills, etc. Even experienced Christians can lose track of the joy that God provides. In Revelation 2:17 Jesus tells the church in Ephesus that they had "forsaken the love they had at first." I think that many of us (myself included) have done this very same thing.
I want to extend an offer to you today. This is your "spiritual homework" for the week, if you choose to accept it. Do the following 2 things after reading this post:
1.) Pray that God would show you someone that needs your help
2.) When God shows you this person, DO something to help them
If it entails watching their child while they run to the grocery store for a gallon of milk, then do it. If it means sharing the Gospel message, then give it a shot. I believe that if we pray this prayer sincerely, God will respond. After all, what would it be like to put on your jacket at the end of the day and find an extra twenty-dollars?
PS: If you have accepted this assignment and want to share with me (and the readers of this blog) how God allowed you to help someone, please email me your story at sjklaus@msn.com. I look forward to seeing what can happen when we ask God for someone to bless.
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