It Starts Small

I hate people. It is the most regrettable thing I have ever spoken. For years I have looked upon people with human labels, as inconveniences, and not having an intention to sharing the gift of life that Jesus has given me. I had no love for others outside of my inner circle of people. I rushed about, avoiding complete strangers and neighbors with purpose. I did not want to get to know people and I did not care about their story.

The greatest change in my heart has been the change of how I see people. As Christians we all know the how we are supposed to be living. We all know what we are supposed to be doing, so why do we not do it?

It is as simple as not knowing why.

When we have a clear “why” answered in our lives we understand our motive. If we work a job simply to be a whole bunch of money because we love money, we set the how and what to match that why. We put all we have into making money because we know the why: financial freedom, to have things, to be comfortable. The why is clear so the focus and motive is clear. In all we do, unless the why is clear to us, we succeed or fail. Money is just a simple example, but it extends to all we do.

²¹ Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21

All Christians know this verse to some extent. It is called the Great Commission. Jesus commands us to go and tell others about him. Oh how we fall so short in this area. Why? Why do we fail and find ourselves in that circle of “I hate people.”?

I believe its because we do not fully understand or have a very narrow view of two things: our salvation and the love of Christ. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, he gave me a new life! He gave me freedom and liberty. I am no longer a slave to this world. I now have all of the power of God dwelling within me. Jesus conquered my fears and helps me to overcome so that I might live life! Live life according to how he lived life. He lived life with the intention to reach others and that is what he invites me to do through him.

Our salvation is not a free pass to live life as we want. To pursue our own desires and our own pleasures. When he gave me life, I give my life back to him. I sit at his table he has prepared for me and he gives me all I need. He meets my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Jesus suffered, bled and died to not heal me, but to make me whole. To meet those deep gaping holes in my heart of needing to be filled with a perfect love, perfect providing, perfect protection and perfect truth. He gave his life so I could have life.

Why? Why would Jesus give his life for us? Because he loves us beyond measure. Do you comprehend that sort of love? I know for many long years I did not understand that sort of love. My entire life I have been looking for a love like that. We can not love ourselves until we truly understand that Jesus left the perfection of heaven, came to earth, so that we could have life. His “why” is because he loves us as His Father in Heaven loves us. When he walked upon this earth, he had all of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father dwelling in him. When he looked upon all people, he was moved by compassion.

³⁶ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; ³⁸ Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9:36-38

Jesus looks upon all of us with compassion! The definition of compassion is, a sympathetic pity or concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Can you imagine Jesus, looking out upon the crowds of people who gathered to hear him teach. Those people were broken people. They were subjected to the harsh rule of Rome. They were persecuted. They had giants and mountains in their lives they could not move or overcome. They were scattered about and leaderless to speak. Jesus spoke about the lost sheep. We are all familiar with this section of verses.

¹² How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? ¹³ And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.¹⁴ Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus did not come to the earth to sit with the religious and self-righteous. He had no interest in those who wanted to stay under the law or hide in the temples. He came to earth to bring his Heavenly Father to the “red district” sort of people. The sort that today we put labels on. The addicts, the homeless, the broken hearted, the lost, the empty, the lonely, the sinners. Jesus taught and preached in the temples, but he spent his time with people. He did not spend his time with the religious leaders. NO, he spent his time with people like you and me. The lost one in the midst of the herd. He purposely and intentionally searched for that lost one and that is you and me.

Can you encompass that sort of love? I know I can not some days. The good news is that love dwells within all us Christians through the Holy Spirit. We need to seek Him today and start cleaning the lenses in which we see people and even ourselves. Our lenses have gotten dirty. We see people through the lense of judgements and labels. We need to rip the labels off and clean the lense so that we can see people as Jesus sees them. To not look at others with judgement, but to look upon them with the compassion Jesus has.

Our discipleship did not begin when we were saved. Our discipleship began when our Heavenly Father, and creator, brought a “handful” of microscopic cells together and created you and me. It started with small tiny cells. The time before you were saved was a great testimony being written. When you truly received Christ as your Savior, Jesus gave you new life and the power to overcome. As we allow him to make gardens of our junkyard hearts, we start transforming and that testimony of the old you takes shape. The transforming of your life testifies to others through the way you live and speak and act. This testimony is what we speak to others. It is the hope and life of Jesus that he wants to give to others through us.

I think about that moment Matthew wrote about. That moment that Jesus looked out on the crowd and was moved with compassion. I wonder if this was his motivation to go to the cross without any sort of hesitation or dread. He knew there were thousands that needed him, millions more to come who would need him and not only did he defeat death, but he gave us the Holy Spirit to be his hands, mouth, and feet so that millions could have wholeness and life. He needed to get to the cross so his compassion could fill our hearts and he could be everywhere all at once verses being confined to one place.

Our world is full of broken lives looking for a real love. We have that real love dwelling within us. We just need to embrace the why of our lives. How do you see people? We do not need great talent or platforms to reach those people. God has given us a platform of our lives. He has given us neighbors and people we encounter everyday. We need to get out of the safety of church and get into the uncomfortable place of inconvenience and make new friends! God does not come in with a big bang, he starts with the small. A hello. A smile. Serving a need in your community.