The Same Ground
I was reading in Ephesians 3 this morning, Paul reminds us that unbelievers and believers alike stand on the same ground before God, have the same access to His presence. How then does that affect our approach to our God? How are we preparing our hearts and minds as we enter the mission field every single day of our lives, knowing we are no better or worse than the average person we cross paths with at any given moment?
No matter who you are, your status in life, your experiences, your education, your failures, your successes—we all have the same access to an amazing and powerful, loving and merciful God! I don’t care if you have memorized the entire Bible, or you are lucky to remember a few verses that were in your devotional this morning….so you didn’t get a devotional time in today, or perhaps it has been weeks since you spent time with the Father….you’ve wandered away from Him, something happened that you’ve decided God doesn’t get me, He doesn’t understand me and my life, He couldn’t possibly love and forgive someone like me……or you are on top of your game, you’ve hit the top of the ladder in the corporate world, you’ve accomplished everything you set out to do and you don’t need God, God is for people who are in trouble, who have screwed up their lives and made a mess of things, who really need Him more than I do…..
Guess what? We all need Him. And the wonderful news is, He is always right beside us and ready to welcome us with open arms! You may think you don’t need Him, but the day will come when you find yourself wondering how to fill this void, this odd feeling that something is missing in your life, that there has to be something more. We are all on the same ground, have the same access to an amazing and loving God. A God who cannot and should not be defined to any one of us by a church or religion’s definition of Him. Before there was religion, there was just God and man. In perfect harmony with one another. At some point along the way, man decided to invent religion, and so today we find ourselves in a world with so many defined doctrines and ideas about who God is. I appreciate my upbringing, my Baptist roots, but more than that I am so thankful to have a relationship with a God who loves me no matter where I show up for community gathering with other believers.
I am struck by this truth today, reminded that I have a beautiful opportunity every day with my friends, coworkers, strangers I meet at the store or on the street, to enter into conversation, offer an open ear and heart to what they need and share the love of Christ. These conversations are seeds being planted, the spark that could light a fire for Christ in their hearts. I want to be part of that seed that is planted, the spark that ignites, because that is what it is about. Sometimes it starts by stopping and giving 2 ladies a ride home with their groceries instead of driving by and watching them wait for a cab to pick them up. Sometimes it is stopping and getting gas and some groceries for a lady who is in a hotel with 3 kids after leaving her abusive husband, trying to make a fresh start. I am thankful I listened when God spoke to me in both of these situations, to be His light in a situation where I could have chosen to move on, stay in my comfort zone and make excuses, assume someone else would help them.
We are on the same ground, we have equal access to this amazing and powerful God.
So what is holding you back? What is your excuse? Let God in. Let Him change your heart and your life. Let Him use you to bless someone who is in need today. Let Him bless you in the process. Isn’t it cool how God works?
No matter who you are, your status in life, your experiences, your education, your failures, your successes—we all have the same access to an amazing and powerful, loving and merciful God! I don’t care if you have memorized the entire Bible, or you are lucky to remember a few verses that were in your devotional this morning….so you didn’t get a devotional time in today, or perhaps it has been weeks since you spent time with the Father….you’ve wandered away from Him, something happened that you’ve decided God doesn’t get me, He doesn’t understand me and my life, He couldn’t possibly love and forgive someone like me……or you are on top of your game, you’ve hit the top of the ladder in the corporate world, you’ve accomplished everything you set out to do and you don’t need God, God is for people who are in trouble, who have screwed up their lives and made a mess of things, who really need Him more than I do…..
Guess what? We all need Him. And the wonderful news is, He is always right beside us and ready to welcome us with open arms! You may think you don’t need Him, but the day will come when you find yourself wondering how to fill this void, this odd feeling that something is missing in your life, that there has to be something more. We are all on the same ground, have the same access to an amazing and loving God. A God who cannot and should not be defined to any one of us by a church or religion’s definition of Him. Before there was religion, there was just God and man. In perfect harmony with one another. At some point along the way, man decided to invent religion, and so today we find ourselves in a world with so many defined doctrines and ideas about who God is. I appreciate my upbringing, my Baptist roots, but more than that I am so thankful to have a relationship with a God who loves me no matter where I show up for community gathering with other believers.
I am struck by this truth today, reminded that I have a beautiful opportunity every day with my friends, coworkers, strangers I meet at the store or on the street, to enter into conversation, offer an open ear and heart to what they need and share the love of Christ. These conversations are seeds being planted, the spark that could light a fire for Christ in their hearts. I want to be part of that seed that is planted, the spark that ignites, because that is what it is about. Sometimes it starts by stopping and giving 2 ladies a ride home with their groceries instead of driving by and watching them wait for a cab to pick them up. Sometimes it is stopping and getting gas and some groceries for a lady who is in a hotel with 3 kids after leaving her abusive husband, trying to make a fresh start. I am thankful I listened when God spoke to me in both of these situations, to be His light in a situation where I could have chosen to move on, stay in my comfort zone and make excuses, assume someone else would help them.
We are on the same ground, we have equal access to this amazing and powerful God.
So what is holding you back? What is your excuse? Let God in. Let Him change your heart and your life. Let Him use you to bless someone who is in need today. Let Him bless you in the process. Isn’t it cool how God works?
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