I had planned to write today about the second goal we have at Heartland Church for our partners -- which is "Invite and Invest". Invite and Invest is really the essence of the Great Commission, and I will come back to that soon. But, I think I want to talk about something else today.
It has been a difficult week, and sometimes challenging times lead us to, remind us of, or make more clear simple truths. This is one of those times.
As you might imagine, working in a church gives you plenty of opportunity to see both the best in people and the worst in people. When some of the "less positive" parts of someone's character come out Pastor Sherry will be one of the first to say that she tries to see beyond the present and instead to see God's finished work.
Seeing ahead to the finished work is not always easy. It is particularly difficult when the "less positive" parts of someone's character cause you pain personally. Sometimes it is hard enough to forgive -- let alone to see the potential in that person -- to see the person that God sees.
The fact is that we are all "under construction". Hopefully, we are all striving to reach the potential that God has given us -- although I recognize that is not always the case. Some people have never found God, others are standing still, and still others have hit some type of crisis in their life that may even have them moving backwards.
On the other hand, the world tends to think that people don't change. I don't believe that. People can change. I have seen it happen. God can change them. Ask the Apostle Paul!
Some of you may be wondering who was the inspiration for this blog. Well, it's not any one person. It's probably a lot of different people, including myself.
I guess I am just saying that the next time someone offends you, the next time you lose patience, the next time you decide that someone will never amount to anything, try to remember that they, just like you, are under construction. It may be that things will never change -- that's always possible. But it also might be that God has big plans for that person. It may also be that God put you in their path for such a time as this.
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing this. I think (I know) this is my biggest struggle in my attempt to follow Christ's teachings. I tend to carry the burden of perceived "wrongs" rather than being strong enough to let them go.
You are welcome "KimothyS." This is a tough one for most of us so you are not alone!!
Well said sir. There is good in the worst of us and bad in the best. When I quesiton you or even myself, I'm saying I know better than God. Instead, I need to stop judging, accept my circumstances, and ask what can I do to make this world a better place.
Hey Doug, its been a long time. Great to see you on here. Hope you enjoy the blog.
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