I am not satisfied with the world I live in. I want it to be better, and I want to be better. I am not satisfied with what I see, or who I am, but I wasn't created to be. I was created to long for more. I was made to crave a savior who delights in the perfecting process and will one day bring that process to completion. I was made to be fully present in today while knowing my tomorrows are held and designed for me. I was made to enjoy the journey because of who I walk beside, but know that at the end comes the prize. I was created to long for more and set standards for myself along the way, but I was not created to apply those standards to those who don't yet know for whom they long. I was made to love them. There is a reason that God ranks love so high and reserves the right to judge for himself and himself alone. Judgement pushes people away, shuns and shames them, while love invites them in and seeks to understand.
I struggle with taking on the role of judge in my everyday life. Often I find myself not freely inviting people into my world, but making them pass a test first to see if they are "good" enough or "moral" enough to occupy the friend zone. Today however I was reminded of the Jesus model. Jesus had 12 men he let fully into his world, but barred no one from entering. I need to do a better job of following this model. I surround myself with people who can challenge and affirm me, who are walking the same road I am, but somewhere along the line I stopped letting anyone else in. I am not doing my job to reach and influence the world I am dissatisfied with. I have an amazing support system of Christian brothers and sisters who I can turn to in crisis, I am lucky and blessed. But many don't have this. Many people don't have a loving voice cheering them on to better things. For some, I can be that voice. I can be the person who listens, who cares, and who is dependable. I can be the person who is honest about where my peace and joy come from, who hopes and prays they meet my source of strength, but loves them where they are now. Jesus commands us to go make disciples of all the world, but in order to do that we first must know the world and love it for where it is, and where it has the potential to go and grow. I am re-committing myself to this process because there are people whom I have been called to love. Who have you been called to love?
God may we be your people with your heart walking out of our comfort zones and into the lives of the people you have given us to love.
