it only cost me $1.95 and i figured it would make me feel good about myself if i just threw a apple-fritter-crispy-what's-a-ma-doodle at him and ran away. but as i walked away, i didn't feel good about myself. because even after i handed him the food and told him that Jesus loves him, he didn't stop staring at the coffee in my hand. he saw that i had split some on the walk back, and i could tell that troubled him. after he asked how i liked my coffee and i told him the coffee was actually for my boss that i was on my way to meet, his frown sunk deeper. he didn't want my fancy starbucks breakfast; he just wanted someone to talk to. my measly $1.95 wasn't anywhere as valuable as my companionship.
this morning i had read James 1:22 for a homework assignment.
"but be doers of the world and not merely hearers, who deceive themselves."
i was so sure that i was 'doing' this morning rather than just 'hearing'. but i wasn't doing nearly enough. and i feel like the church is in a boat very similar to mine.
you've heard it said plenty of times:
"love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind."
deal. done. God is great, Jesus is awesome. i can do that. but to display whatever love we can muster up for Him, we have to try our best to be obedient and follow the second greatest command.
"love your neighbor as yourself."
umm no. i'm pretty dang cool. okay not really, but still. the problem with this verse it this: we only love the neighbors we want to love. we want to love the people in our church, or the people with the same skin color, or the little babies in china but not the smelly one that got my kid sick at daycare, or the people that are nice to us back. and that ain't love, y'all.
so here's the challenge: love on someone you don't want to. someone that's different than you are in almost every aspect. because God doesn't love you because you're better than everyone else. God loves black people, yellow people, mixed colors people, rich people and poor people, smart and not so smart people, people that work for the government and people that are in jail, fat people and skinny people, people that have hurt you and made you feel inferior. God loves those who He has created, whether they return that love or not. so love other people today. love them this week, this month, this year. for the rest of your life, love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. be a doer and not just a hearer.
thank you for your time. i'm ron burgundy.
peace, love, and tapioca pudding,
morgan the nana
