MICK'S MUSINGS: Love God - Love People; Serve God - Serve People

Not far into the pages of Scripture you run smack into love. Adam and Eve did not invent love. They were privileged to be the first to experience love on the human scene ...which had rapidly turned sour. Our ancient ancestors messed it up royally for us when they decided tasting forbidden fruit a more attractive alternative than heeding the One who knew best - our Creator. Don't knock them for the mess the human race is in. We'd all do same.

With Adam and Eve the love of God literally covered their sin. Innocent, helpless sheep paid the price for that covering. For God's love to cover our disobedience - both in terms of needing One who could bridge that eternal gap between sinful man and a Holy God, and covering for sins we followers of Christ find so easily beset us - demanded The Lamb of God be sacrificed. Love - bloodied, bruised, despised, rejected, nailed to a cross - provided that Lamb for us. "God so loved the world..." And I am eternally grateful.

Then God comes along in His Word and lays on His people His standard for how we are to love in the here and now. "We love Him because He first (in every way) loved us."  "Beloved, if God so loved us then we ought also to love one another." "...If you do not love your brother whom you have seen, how can you love God whom you have not seen?" (Read I John ...full of love). We don't get off easily. God knew He was pushing our buttons in holding us to His standard. Walking wounded dot the Christian landscape where His followers failed miserably in the love department because that standard was not practical or too tough (our cop-out).  But hang on...He's not telling us He requires we get the warm fuzzies over every weird character flying the Believer Banner, or the pure pagan.

Here's a simple biblical and practical love lesson liveable by any of us.  You love God by loving people. You serve God by serving people. Again, warm fuzzies are not the issue. Giving even a cup of cold water in Jesus' name is. Anyone can live that love. Even us.

God knew (Mick especially) we were not wired for the spectacular or awesome in our corner of His Kingdom. But people...that's our turn on. And hosting three MK college students headed back to Texas was just a cup of cold water....in Jesus' name. We are privileged to do a lot of that. Funny thing...we were the refreshed ones. Thanks, Rochelle, Nathan, and Daniel. Our prayer in our unspectacular, awesomeless, niche in His Kingdom is that God senses our love for Him in our feeble attempts to love people practically, and that He finds our service for Him acceptable as we seek to serve Him with our cups of cold water - simple things like accommodations, Martha's touch in the kitchen, a place to crash or spend R & R time, a listening ear and heart, or a word of encouragement.

Love God by loving people. Serve God by serving people. Anyone can do that. And an overseas, distant land, strange people experience is not required.