Journeying together

The thing that struck me most as I made my way to work, was that a 'Faith that Inspires' doesn't mean I need to do big and great things that will draw crowds by the thousands (and goodness I'm thankful for that because I don't think that is a gift God has given me) but that it is learning to be faithful with what God has given us because He is faithful. Through that message that I heard and other things that have happened throughout the week, I was reminded that God has called me to be faithful in word, in deed and in attitude.

Of course this is nothing new but as I was considering how I have been inspired by other people's faith, I realised that it isn't necessarily the great speech that I heard or that great miracle that occurred that was particularly inspiring but the amazing character of God that is being manifested through that person. Isn't it incredible to think that God is just as willing to grant us that wisdom that renders even the person with the highest IQ dumbfounded? Isn't it incredible to think that God is just as willing to give us strength beyond our ability? Isn't it incredible to think that God is just as willing to use little ol' me? Well, I think that is pretty cool. What is even more amazing is that I don't really need to do anything for that to happen! What I mean is that I don't need to try and do something crazy in order for God to manifest Himself through me. He has ALREADY given me gifts and talents and abilities and whenever I open my mouth or whenever I see an opportunity to lend a helping hand, God can do something extra-ordinary with that because that's what He specialises in! 

So, let us all continue to do good with all zeal that God would take we have and "extra-ordinaririse" it to inspire those around us. Incidentally, I was also encouraged to be reminded of God's faithfulness in Himself as I saw a rainbow on my way to work this morning... not that this would mean much to you but it was pretty after a stormy night.

All glory and praise be to the One who calls us and is faithful and will do it (Thessalonions 5:24).

I had picked up a book from my host's shelf yesterday evening while waiting for my ride called 'Jesus as They Saw Him' by William Barclay (a relatively old book published in 1962). So far I've only read the first 2 chapters, that is 2 of 42! It was fascinating as the author explored how people from the Bible perceived who Jesus was based on how they referred to Him as recorded in the Bible. The first chapter looked at how "they" saw Him as a man. It may come to no surprise to you but I think some people now may have believed he looked like a demigod or something spectacular whereas Barclay highlighted that He must've been very normal. The second chapter is where it all got slightly more exciting as we started to see how even though people had seen Jesus as "just a man", it is recorded that "the essential nature of Jesus is the essential nature of God". I won't go into all those details that the book describes about different Christologies and translations from the Greek etc but it reminded me very much of another book that I had read about 2 years ago: 'We Would See Jesus'. If you've been following my blog, you might remember me quoting that book a lot during my teacher training year. It had been incredibly useful in continually pointing me to Jesus in the midst of the pressures and stresses of life at that time and I certainly haven't forgotten about it's impact on my life since then. 

Well, as I was listening to a sermon yesterday about "being a hospital disciple", the preacher had pointed out that the command of 1 Peter 4:9 was spoken in the context of suffering. In the midst of persecution and danger the kind of hospitality that was expected was beyond entertainment. It was a commitment to serve, protect and nurture in a selfless, spontaneous sort of manner. It was in that kind of hospitable home that churches started and miracles happened. More than that, the commandment was to be hospitable without grumbling. Therefore, the assumption was that people were hospitable but were grumbling about having to give so much to that cause. 

You might be thinking what on earth does being hospitable without grumbling have to do with who Jesus is. I think that who Jesus is has everything to do with everything in our lives. Having now been here in Melbourne for a month, I have been at the receiving end of some amazing hospitality. Even just yesterday, some of the church members (and probably not just because they had JUST heard a sermon about being hospitable) were thinking beyond their comfort zone in how to accommodate me on their Wednesday cell group meeting since I wouldn't have a way of getting home and another leader within the church mentioned a possible dinner with his family in the near-ish future. The point is, I've been a witness of Jesus in these peoples' lives and through them, I have experienced Jesus meeting my need for fellowship, for food, for laughter and even for comfort.

As I look around me and talk to various different people, it is no surprise that there are so many other greater needs than my own. People who are incredibly lonely, people without food, people with no security, people with absolutely no direction and no hope. You don't need to look far to see the incredible needs in our world. Think of the recent news. I suppose we all feel a little helpless to do much more than cry and maybe prayer if we are a little more spiritual but we forget that we have Christ in us and just as He is in us, we are also in Him (or meant to be according to John 15). We forget that He IS our need, our ONLY need and since we already "have" Him, we have enough. In fact, if we have Christ, we have MORE than enough and that is when He gives us the grace to meet the needs of others. It's an incredible thought as I sit here feeling that I don't have my own home to invite people to, that I don't have a huge budget to treat people to dinners, that I don't have a car to help ferry people around... but what I DO have is so much more and that is the joy of the knowledge of Christ. Praise God indeed for this incredible gift!

'But peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."' -Acts 3:6

'The special revelation which this name gives is that of the grace of God. "I am" is an unfinished sentence. It has no object. I am-- what? Great is our wonder when we discover, as we continue with our Bibles, that He is saying, "I AM whatever My people need," and that the sentence is purposely left blank so that man may bring his many and various needs, as they arise, to complete it!... "I am that I am"-- which means that God is incomprehensible... Do we lack peace? "I AM thy peace", says He. Do we lack strength? "I AM thy strength." Do we lack spiritual life? "I AM thy life." Do we lack wisdom? "I am thy wisdom"' (quoted from 'We Would See Jesus' by Roy & Revel Hession)

So whatever your need today and everyday, may you find Christ more than sufficient in order to meet the needs of others.