Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

Do you ever sit in a crowded place, watching the masses walk by, and marvel at the lives unfolding around you? Think of your own life—your happy or troubled childhood, your dreams and aspirations, the struggles you’ve faced, and the amazing memories you’ve made. Think of the valleys you’ve limped through and the exultation you’ve felt when God has brought you to amazing places. Think of all you have yet to do for His kingdom (for we all have work to do, no matter how long or short our time will be). And now think: each and every person around you, from the child just learning to walk to the elderly person bound to a wheel chair, has a life just as intricate and complicated as your own. They have their own history and their own dreams. God has a plan for each of them, whether they turn to Him, seek His face, and obey this plan, or follow their own path. Each of them is made in the image of God, created for a purpose, and possessing an immortal soul. To be surrounded by such fearfully and wonderfully made creations of God is no small thing.

As Christians, it is our responsibility to value the people around us with the love and compassion of Jesus. As Paul writes in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus died for us when there was nothing inherently good about us. As we all know, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God loved us and valued us, not because of our own actions, but because He is so great that His love is not dictated by our sin. His heart is broken over those who deny Him. As Jesus said, “‘What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance’” (John 15:4-7). This passage beautifully illustrates Jesus’s heart for the lost and His concern for the immortal soul’s fate. As C. S. Lewis writes in his book Mere Christianity, “When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man in the world.” Jesus’s love is so great, he would go in search of the one though the ninety-nine were saved.

Sometimes it’s easy to be annoyed or hurt by the attitudes we have to deal with on a daily basis. But we are forgetting that the hatefulness and pain we witness around us is only a symptom of lostness and that, as children of God, we are the ones who know the life-changing truth. The hurting people we encounter on a daily basis are made in the image of the supernatural, invisible, holy God. Each of them has an immortal soul which is headed toward either heaven or hell. It is the responsibility of each of us to spread the love of Christ with every word and deed. We should be known as men and women of God, who love the Lord and the fellow human beings around us so much we can’t stand the thought of them being separated from Him. This world is aching to be known, loved, and valued; it is looking everywhere but the right place to find reception. It is Christians who know the Judge who offers to pay our debts and the King who invites us to call Him Father. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

How does this burden for the lost impact our day-to-day lives? Look around! Be overwhelmed by the myriads of souls you see around you, some of whom are surrendered to Christ, some of whom are resistant to His grace, but all of whom need Him daily and desperately. Exuding God’s love is always the first step—we might not be able to share the gospel with every person we interact with, but we can always love them, we can always be kind, we can always be different from the world. We do this not to fulfill some social obligation, but because our hearts are broken by the fate that awaits so many. Even if we have only a moment to make an impact, we can plant a seed which God will cause to grow. The Spirit is within us and the God who is “not wishing for any to perish” has captured our hearts. So next time you are tempted to lash out against the attitude of a person living in darkness, remember—it is you who have a future, a hope, and a responsibility to share it.