BERNARD SHUFORD

Don Wilton teaches that it’s a mark of a Christian to want to be around other Christian people.  To enjoy fellowship with other believers.  This is one of his five “points” regarding “totally secure” in your relationship with Christ.  

In a big sense, I agree.  My understanding of the Bible agrees that one of the ways the world knows we are “of Christ” is that we love each other.  (It is, however, often entirely too easy to redefine “love” to fit our preferred mentality rather than let it be what the Bible intends…)  I don’t support the type of Christianity that says “I’ll just stay home on the front porch and worship God while all the hypocrites go to church.”  

However, I am saddened by the fact that so many really take this to an extreme and ONLY associate with Christians.  

We have a great message to give to the world.  

And they are NOT going to come to church to hear it if we don’t befriend them, love them, help them, and genuinely care about them.

As a matter of fact, I would say we’re not trying very hard at all to really win folks to Christ if we don’t do those things.  

And, if we love Christians only because it makes holy living easier, aren’t we still missing something?  

We’ve become insular.  Even among a lot of “evangelical” Christians, we would rather fuss amongst ourselves about how evil the world is instead of being salt and light to them.  

The greatest Christians of all are those who can love and live like Christ in the middle of the world that doesn’t love Christ without falling into sin.  

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Based on what Christ said about hating a man in our heart being as bad as murder, and things like that, I think our motives are really important.  In one respect, just as important as our actions.  In some situations, maybe MORE important than our actions.

Frustratingly, though, this realization results in a crippling over-analysis for me.

Most of the time, my motives are probably wrong.  I know that.  I don’t like it.

But sometimes, my motives are right.

Which do YOU think is most important, DOING the right thing, or having the right motive?

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So, what’s your favorite song of ALL time?  Religious, secular, country, rap, pop – I don’t care.  One song.  Your absolute favorite.

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I beseech you, therefore, Bernard, that you present your desire to be “well known” as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.

Gulp.

It gives me pride that I know a LOT of people.  It’s not unusual at all for me to run into people that I know in places that aren’t necessarily close to where we live.  It gives me pride that they know me.

Sacrifice it.  Give that feeling of self-importance to God.  Put it on the altar.  Put it there again, because it will rise up again.

It only matters that I know Christ and He knows me.

Really.  That’s all.  No other fame should be desired than His.

Ouch.  That sacrificial knife hurts.

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So I went to pick up Trav at football practice today.  We almost never leave him “alone” at football practice, for a myriad of reasons, but today was a little different in that his lil sis had Girl Scouts and Karma had to transport her there.

Trav was not entirely comfortable with the arrangement (his discomfort is one of the “myriad reasons”) but finally agreed that, perhaps, he would be okay.

I got there a few minutes later than I had intended, even though I was much earlier than I had to be to pick him up.

Within a couple minutes of me arriving at the fence, he spotted me.  Normally, we don’t get a lot of attention, because, after all, we’re parents.  This time, however, the look of relief was obvious, and his hand popped up in a wave that made it clear he was glad I was there.

Probably a hundred times a day, God shows up at the fence for me, and I don’t even notice it.  When I do notice, it always makes me feel much better.

God’s looking at you.  Have you noticed?

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