Potential

"When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ's interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is." -Oswald Chambers

I was recently asked why I spend time with some people who are hostile toward my religious beliefs. Not only are we not of the same "stripe" of Christian background, these individuals are atheists and agnostics and have little to no respect for the Word of God, the sacrifice of Christ or absolute truth. So, why do I hang out with them? Why do I take their reviling of the very things I hold most sacred? Because I want to attempt to influence them to see that, though they may mock and ridicule Scripture, Christ and the Christ in me, I will still believe in Jesus and that Jesus still believes in them.

Christ has an interest in every human being. Whether the person knows it our not, Christ died so that he or she might be set free. How will people ever come to know the love, mercy and compassion of God if they do not see it in the lives of those who claim to be His followers? These people are not my "natural" friends; in fact, we may not be friends at all, but I thank God that I see potential in each one of them. I pray that God still sees potential in me after all my sins and shortcomings. If God can see a minister, missionary and Christian example in me, surely I can return that grace and see the potential for good in others.

be blessed,
-Will