MUST

On the first Wednesday of every month, my wife (Kelley) takes a group down the the MUST center in Smyrna to help serve the poor in our community. MUST ministries is an organization that was started years ago to meet needs of the homeless in Marietta and surrounding areas. They do a tremendous job of meeting these needs.

Of course, MUST could not do this without countless volunteers and donations for individuals, businesses and churches. Kelley has made it simple for our congregation to get involved in this ministry effort.

Yesterday I went with Kelley and 4 others to serve and these are my findings:

1) It is a small building in the middle of Smyrna where local residents can get food and clothing

2) The evening shift is relatively new so not many people took advantage of it being opened.

3) The love they show to this community is incredible. Reaching out to them with physical needs as well as training and job opportunities.

4) I had a great time hanging out and discussing DEEP theological topics. Well, at least they were deep for me.

Taking time to serve in this way is a great opportunity to reach out to the poor. It is an opportunity to meet others in our congregation and find out who they are. It is an opportunity to become more like Jesus.

When you check it out, let me know about your experience.

Love

If I am honest, there are many times when people just get on my nerves. I mean nothing about them makes me want to be around them much less love them. Honestly, that even happens on Sunday morning. As a matter of fact, it happened this past Sunday morning, TWICE!

And then I read, 1 John 4:7-19. John begins here with,"Dear friends, let us love one another,..." Notice that he didn't say, "Dear friends, let us be lovable,..." That would have been much easier for me because, I wouldn't have to love those that aren't lovable. However, it doesn't say that. As I have said before, the Bible is written for me to apply to myself, so I have to LOVE "one another". I am no english scholar (anyone will attest to that) but I believe "love" is used as a verb here and best I remember verbs are the action words.

If love is an action word and the Bible is written for me, then I have to take away that I am to perform the action (love). I must love other believers simply because they are believers. No other motivation is necessary. They don't have to love me or be nice, or cute or my children or whatever. Because they are a believer qualifies them. Why?

Verse 11: "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Verse 19-20: "We love because he first loved us. If we say we love God yet hate a brother or sister, we are liars."

God loved me when I was terribly unlovable. (I know, it is hard to imagine me that way). Yet he loved me anyway. He wants me to love those that He loves.

I am so thankful that God loved me unconditionally when I was the most unlovable. Because of this love, I want to love others unconditionally when they are the most unlovable.

Pray for me as I strive toward this.