If the Camel Fits.

It is common for Christians to talk about being led by the Holy Spirit. Examples are, “The Holy Spirit led me to this particular scripture” or “God is telling me to go pray for that person” or “God is leading me to have a Bible study”, (or God told me to move to Albuquerque). These are pretty common statements I have heard in my 33 years of church attendance.

I thought of something today. Why doesn’t God ever lead us to buy a new car or house for someone? Or just hand someone $100? Or $1,000? Just because?

This happens here and there. But it’s not the norm. Shouldn’t it be?

Here’s my point. It seems that our love should be extravagant. I mean, I think we should be knocking people’s socks off. I think that the display (putting our money where our mouth is) of God’s love has got to look so different than the world that people will be constrained to know God.

Our charitable good deeds are matched and even exceeded by others. We talk the talk but how well do we fare in showing it? Because we’ve gotta be doing something that means something. Talk is cheap. No one is impressed. But action that costs you something for someone else’s benefit speaks loud and clear.

Jesus didn’t just tell us God loves us. He showed us.

Who can deny Peter’s love for Jesus? He was so passionate…so loyal…so happy. Yet, when push came to shove it was revealed to Peter where his limitation was. He was so sure. So certain. And then the cock crowed and Jesus’ gaze penetrated through the humanity that is within all of us, and Peter was brought face to face with himself.

I imagine a Church where all of us are giving like crazy. Going up to strangers and giving them money. Buying a new car for your next door neighbor. Or paying for the family sitting next to you at a restaurant.

If God is telling all of us what to do, if the Holy Spirit is leading us to go here and there, then how come more of this isn’t going on?

What is God really saying to all of us? Are we listening? Or are our sacrifices pretty pitiful and perhaps unpleasant to God?

When someone receives something they know they didn’t deserve, something happens. Whether that undeserving is in the form of a stranger who wonders why you paid for his coffee or giving a gift to someone who hates you…divine nature is set into motion. Cutting through all the nonsense, hype, noise, trends… religion; truth, unabashed is seen in rarest form, like a precious gem, unknown and hidden to humanity…undiluted, untarnished. Pure love from God flowing through our hands to a world who does not know Him.

I’m tired of the books that keep saying the same thing. I’m tired of bells and whistles that entertain. I’m tired of seeker-friendly. I’m tired of user-friendly. I’m tired of hoops and bandwagons. I’m tired of methods and strategies. It’s become too easy to fill our lives with every form of outreach while we are really ignoring what we are supposed to be doing.

When we love others more than ourselves, it’s gonna show. If we don’t, it’s gonna show. And that, and only that, will show the world who God is… or who He isn’t.