A
thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (p.
1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com
to buy the book.)
Do you
want to fix people? Maybe you went into
your marriage with an “I can fix them” instead of just loving them
attitude. No one want that, they just
want to be loved for who they are. What
that seems to be is an “I’m better than you” way of looking at people. And that too many times is easy for those of
us who are Christians to look at those who aren’t. That is not a good thing.
I checked in today on Foursquare to the Starbucks that I go to here in Pasadena for the 439th time. I have a lot of very special friends there. I’m not trying to fix them. I‘m just wanting to be with them. Just today the security guard at a bank real close with whom I sit with for at least a half an hour 6 days a week told me how much he appreciates the fact that he has been able to do that. That I have made a difference in his life. And I told him that he has done the same to me. Just being there makes a difference.
Do you
want to fix people? Maybe you went into
your marriage with an “I can fix them” instead of just loving them
attitude. No one want that, they just
want to be loved for who they are. What
that seems to be is an “I’m better than you” way of looking at people. And that too many times is easy for those of
us who are Christians to look at those who aren’t. That is not a good thing.
I love
the story that Bob shares here in his book about his being accepted by his
Young Life leader rather than giving him advice. And that can really be tough to do. I mean I know how to fix you but it isn’t
what I know that makes the difference but it is what I do. This is what love, acceptance and forgiveness
is all about.
The
New Testament talks a lot about fellowship.
And I like what someone said, “Fellowship is two people in a ship or a
small boat in a journey together" We’re
in it together.
Bob
says “Jesus is sometimes called Immanuel—“God with us.” I think that’s what God
had in mind, for Jesus to be present, to just be with us. It’s also what He has
in mind for us when it comes to other people. The world can make you think that
love can be picked up at a garage sale or enveloped in a Hallmark card. But the
kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it
involves sacrifice and presence. It’s a love that operates more like a sign
language than being spoken outright.”
We have
to sacrifice our ego that says “I know what to do” and to just be there with love acceptance and forgiveness.
I checked in today on Foursquare to the Starbucks that I go to here in Pasadena for the 439th time. I have a lot of very special friends there. I’m not trying to fix them. I‘m just wanting to be with them. Just today the security guard at a bank real close with whom I sit with for at least a half an hour 6 days a week told me how much he appreciates the fact that he has been able to do that. That I have made a difference in his life. And I told him that he has done the same to me. Just being there makes a difference.
So
who are your trying to fix? How are they
handling it? Maybe you need to stop
working so hard and just be there.
So why
not start doing that today?
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