09 25 07 My Part
“The man replied, ‘How in the world can I, unless someone guides me?’”
(Acts 8:31)

Just in passing, have you ever heard someone mention Scripture, sing or hum a Christian song, or play music honoring the Lord from their car? What is our reaction? Do we smile and keep going, totally ignore it, or make an attempt to point it out; saying “I like that song”, or “Thanks for letting your belief come through”. Are you thinking I’m just a little weird at this point? I often wonder what MY PART is in the grand scheme of God’s design.

Philip heard the Ethiopian reading Isaiah aloud as he passed by and simply asked the question, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” (Acts 8:30) What followed possibly led to the spreading of the Gospel to the African continent! Imagine that: showing a little interest in hearing some Scripture, seeking further conversation, perhaps even feeling a bit out of my comfort zone with someone from a different culture, led to the salvation of possibly millions of people down I history. What could one conversation do today? One minute to ask, “Do you understand?” Could this be MY PART?

“On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances.”
(Hebrews 5:11-12)

Paul is addressing the Jewish believers here and admonishing them to move beyond the comfort zone of learning and start teaching! Can we hear the same message today? Stop being so relaxed and comfortable! Get out and tell somebody! Teach somebody what we know! Take an interest in the kids on the corner, the man on the subway, the clerk behind the counter at 7-11. “But they aren’t like me. They look different. They dress different. Their language, though English, seems hard to understand. They may reject my interest.” Excuses…..excuses…..excuses!

Much like the times of the early church, we live in a melting pot. We have different races, different cultures, different ways of dress, and different ways to say the same thing. We don’t even speak like our kids anymore! But do we stop talking to them, or spending time with them? We need to reach out and have an interest in people and their eternal lives!!!! That’s MY PART, your part in God’s plan: love people as God does! We don’t have time to do anything if we can’t love people. What were Jesus’ words when ask what were the two greatest commandments? Love God, love your neighbor. And who is your neighbor? The kids on the corner, the man on the subway, the clerk behind the counter at 7-11, and the child a continent away! Love somebody as Christ does: sacrifice, share, spend time, talk, embrace, reach, teach, and let them feel Jesus with skin on! That’s MY PART!!!!!!!