Christian - Verb or Noun?
If you've not heard that Jesus is referred to as the Great Physician, He is. I've really been thinking a lot about how we Christians may be acting as NOUNS (things) instead of VERBS (action).
Christian should be a verb, loving, giving, caring, sharing, helping, accepting then guiding, etc. When Christian is a noun, well, nouns are persons, places or things, they really do nothing. I don't want that to be me.
I want to be fully alive, fully available, fully usable by God to reach people where they are to show them (verb) there is love and a better way of living (verb).
Read this story and hopefully we each will remember it and take it to heart so we change from NOUN to VERB!
There was an old tired man, beaten down by life and who had given up hope. When ever so gently, he began to hear the sweetest strains of Amazing Grace drifting over the gentle breeze. He followed the song until he found the source. An old time church, white board, and sitting on a hill. As he listened to the hope the verses sang of, he walked quicker with a glimmer of hope beginning to awaken in his tired soul. He arrived, quietly opened the door and sat down very discreetly in the last pew.
His clothes were worn, torn, and dirty. Hardly fashionable and definitely not in good condition. Nothing of his appearance was acceptable by society's standards.
As he sat listening to the last strains of the hymn, a gentleman came back and said, "Sir, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave." The tired weary man replied, "Sir, please, I won't bother nobody. I just wanted to hear the singing and say a prayer." The other gentleman again insisted "I'm sorry, but you must leave."
At this the tired soul got to his feet, quietly walked out the door, and sat on the steps of the little white board church and the tears of hurt and weariness began to gently flow freely down his cheeks. Suddenly, he felt a very firm hand on his shoulder. Fearing to look up thinking it was the gentleman again, he was surprised to look up into the face of Jesus smiling down at him with great love and compassion.
Jesus said, "Child, don't worry about not being allowed in that church. I've been trying to get in to it for years and they won't let me in either."
Christian should be a verb, loving, giving, caring, sharing, helping, accepting then guiding, etc. When Christian is a noun, well, nouns are persons, places or things, they really do nothing. I don't want that to be me.
I want to be fully alive, fully available, fully usable by God to reach people where they are to show them (verb) there is love and a better way of living (verb).
Read this story and hopefully we each will remember it and take it to heart so we change from NOUN to VERB!
There was an old tired man, beaten down by life and who had given up hope. When ever so gently, he began to hear the sweetest strains of Amazing Grace drifting over the gentle breeze. He followed the song until he found the source. An old time church, white board, and sitting on a hill. As he listened to the hope the verses sang of, he walked quicker with a glimmer of hope beginning to awaken in his tired soul. He arrived, quietly opened the door and sat down very discreetly in the last pew.
His clothes were worn, torn, and dirty. Hardly fashionable and definitely not in good condition. Nothing of his appearance was acceptable by society's standards.
As he sat listening to the last strains of the hymn, a gentleman came back and said, "Sir, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave." The tired weary man replied, "Sir, please, I won't bother nobody. I just wanted to hear the singing and say a prayer." The other gentleman again insisted "I'm sorry, but you must leave."
At this the tired soul got to his feet, quietly walked out the door, and sat on the steps of the little white board church and the tears of hurt and weariness began to gently flow freely down his cheeks. Suddenly, he felt a very firm hand on his shoulder. Fearing to look up thinking it was the gentleman again, he was surprised to look up into the face of Jesus smiling down at him with great love and compassion.
Jesus said, "Child, don't worry about not being allowed in that church. I've been trying to get in to it for years and they won't let me in either."
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