The refreshing breeze blew softly against my warm skin. The mixture of blue and green hues created the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable morning. On Blue Mountain in Jamaica, a dozen children instantly surrounded me. Several girls grabbed my hand and pulled me in one direction. I peeked at my husband, who was hopping on one foot as he played a serious game of hopscotch with the boys.
Our fast-paced morning consisted of playing games, serving breakfast, and assisting kids across the monkey bars. My husband and I exchanged glances as the kids rushed us to the next “thing”. The look in his eyes confirmed what we were both feeling.
We could stay here for quite a bit longer.
I embraced the youngest child. A three-year-old boy living at the orphanage. As I held him in my arms, he rested his head on my shoulder. I hugged him while gently patting his back. His frame was similar to that of my own son.
This embrace was natural. I squeezed a little tighter to let him know how loved he is.
The world stood still in that moment.
This precious life cradled in my arms. A young boy soaking up the love of a mother. As I held his body close, I prayed that he would find a much greater love than I could ever give.
I may not be in his world every day, but on this day, I had something to offer him.
The Unconditional Everlasting Love of God.
God Chooses To Use Us
One of the most incredible parts of serving God is how He chooses to use us. The Lord doesn’t need us. He is fully capable of reaching people and transforming hearts on His own. Yet, He chooses to involve us. We are His beloved, called to reach the hurting world around us.
And while we are His beloved, we are also tattered with imperfections. Jesus transforms us in our mess, making something beautiful out of the ashes. That something beautiful just may be the key to unlocking another person’s imprisoned heart towards freedom.
You see, every broken place you’ve walked through is not in vein. God’s purpose goes beyond the work He wants to do in you. He also desires to do a good work through you. When you view life through this lens, the truth becomes very clear.
Through our brokenness, God is reaching the brokenhearted.
Every day is an opportunity to be used by God. Each morning, we can offer our hearts to Him and make an impact in this world.
Understanding God’s Love For All People
In order to do this, we first need to understand the heartbeat of God. His love for people is undeniable. He demonstrated His great love for us by doing the unthinkable: sending His Son to die in our place. We can never reach a limit to God’s love. And nothing can stop God’s love from reaching us.
The amazing truth is ~ God Almighty pursues us. He pursues our children. Our neighbors. The driver sitting next to us at a red light. The cashier at the grocery store. The young child in an orphanage.
The person who seeks Him daily. And the one who is far from Him.
His love extends to all people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
The Lord is pursuing each of us every single day. And He calls us to love like never before.
First, to love Him. Then to take this same life-changing love and give it freely to those we encounter every day.
Showing God’s Love to a Hurting World
I love God’s character. He is faithful and true, at all times. What does this have to do with the call to love others, you may be wondering? Well, when the Lord commands you to do something challenging or out of your comfort zone, He doesn’t leave you to do it in your own strength. He will empower you with incredible gifts of strength, courage, and discernment as you seek Him.
If you feel prompted to live and love like Jesus intentionally every day, I challenge you to do the following:
- Ask the Lord to fill your heart with His love until it’s overflowing out of you.
- Open your heart to the sweet whispers of the Holy Spirit as He directs you. Be obedient to His leading.
- Look for little ways to reach others – it may be a simple prayer you ask to pray over someone or the way you interact with the person at the drive-thru window. Maybe it will be in more obvious ways of paying for another’s meal or purchasing Christmas gifts for a family in need.
However the Lord chooses to use you, every bit of it is a big deal. We are building God’s kingdom, one person at a time, each and every day.
I recently saw this quote on a placard in a local craft store. I couldn’t shake the message from my own heart. I really need to go back and purchase it!
Take a moment and let this message sink in. Pray and allow God to move in your heart. And then go out and love like never before. The world needs it like never before.
