FAITHdare #10: GO!

Go to the lost.

As Jesus is sending out His disciples, He starts out with that simple command: Go. But if you are anything like me, "going" looks a whole lot more like sitting and waiting...an attitude of, "if someone comes to me, I'll be more than happy to love them and serve them! But they need to come to me, cuz there is no way I am going THERE."

Jesus could have easily taken that strategy. After all, He had people flocking to Him without even trying! But Jesus goes out of His way to CONNECT with people.

Take a look at John 4:1-26.

Jesus could have easily taken His drink and moved on. He could have condemned her. He could have quickly told her all of her sins and what she needed to do to rid herself of them and then moved on. He didn't, though. He met her on her level and LOVED her.

It is impossible to meet people on their level if you are never with them. And if you never meet people on their level, it is hard to love them the way Jesus tells us to. Which is why, I think, Jesus commanded us to GO.

But where?

Jesus went straight to "the lost sheep of Israel," and He commands His disciples to do the same. Jesus went to the neediest, the poorest, the most despised, the sickest. What about you? Do you spend much time with the needy, the poor, the despised, the sick? Or do you find yourself WAITING in your safe home, your safe neighborhood, your safe church?

Are your ready to GO with Jesus? To CONNECT with the lost? To serve them and show them what LOVE looks like? It's easy to throw words at people, to tell them how they are wrong and what they need to do to get right again. But to love them with the heart of Jesus? That's hard. That takes time and effort and lots of hurt. And it's exactly what He commands us to do.

FAITHdare #10:
Spend some time this week in another context.

We tend to gravitate to security. (At least, I do). Jesus invites us to abandon security in His name, and I am inviting you to do the same. Consider spending some time this week with people you would not normally spend time with. How about visiting a nursing home, or a jail, or a homeless shelter? How about a "bad" neighborhood? Or maybe even just a neighbor that is hard to love? Spend time with the hurting and lost, and SERVE them. Go without an agenda and see what God can do through you. You might be surprised.

For a couple of weeks now I have been spending time at the local crisis pregnancy center. Already I can see how God is changing my heart toward the hurting, and as I shared a couple of days ago, being WITH the lost makes PRAYING for them a whole lot more meaningful. I am excited to see how God is going to work IN me through my time with these beautiful girls I am meeting.

Won't you consider stepping outside of the realm of comfortable and into a life of reckless faith?

As you GO, please share with the rest of us where God takes you.