The Least

Why is it so easy to look the other way when we see someone in need? The man asking for money, the homeless lady, the hungry child on the infomercial—if we can just look the other way, they will soon be gone and we can go back to our comfortable lives.

We have great excuses too. He needs to get a job. If she had any morals she wouldn’t be in that situation. They’re just exploiting those kids for money.

But Jesus never told us to diagnose how they got in their predicament. In fact, when Jesus described the judgment, He said He would separate everyone into two groups; one group would be welcomed into their place of reward (heaven), while the other group would be sent to the place of punishment (lake of fire). What standard did He use to divide the groups?

He said one group ministered to Him when He was in need—fed Him, clothed Him, gave Him water, took care of Him, and visited Him in prison. That group was welcomed into heaven. The other group saw Jesus in need and never helped Him.

Of course you and I don’t see Jesus in need of anything, but in Matthew 25:40, Jesus said that when we minister to the least, we are ministering to Him. So look for Jesus today and minister to Him.

By the way, this is not saying you can make it to heaven by doing good things. But once you become a Christian, you will naturally want to do good things. So go out today and feed the hungry, visit the sick, show love to the unlovable. And remember, it is pointless to do any good work without doing it in the name of Jesus. 

Team Jersey

Even a person who is not a sports fan can probably identify different jerseys. A baseball player’s jersey buttons up, and he wears either a hat or a helmet, and carries either a glove or a bat. A football player also wears a helmet, but his has a facemask, and he also has big shoulder pads. A basketball player’s jersey has no sleeves or buttons, and he might wear a headband.

Others have unique equipment too. Volleyball players have kneepads, hockey players have a stick, and soccer players wear bright colors and high socks.

These attributes are easily identifiable, and no person would ever look at a hockey player with all his equipment and say, “He must be going to the gym to play basketball.” His uniform places him on the ice.

In a similar way Jesus said there should be unique equipment for His followers, something that sets them apart. In John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”

There it is: when people see the love that Christians show they should immediately place us is the church. This love that we show does not originate from within us, but from God. I John 4:8 and 16 say, “God is love.” Ours is a God of love, and He invites His followers to be the same way. And this love isn’t limited to just our families or the ones that love us, but we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Most basketball coaches wear a jacket and tie, but their players don’t; most football coaches wear a collared shirt or a windbreaker, but their players don’t. Baseball coaches (or managers) are different; they have a jersey with a number, and a hat or a batting helmet that matches the team.

Or maybe the team matches the coach.

It’s as if the coach says, “Here I am, this is how I look, and if you want to be on my team you have to look like me.” Jesus is the same way. He says, “I am love, and if you want to be on my team, you have to look the same way.”

Make sure you suit up with God’s love today and stay in the game.  

Smelling Like Christ

It’s crazy to me how our minds can so quickly go back in time when we smell something familiar. Catching a whiff of someone’s perfume can remind you of a friend from decades ago, or the scent of a pie baking in the oven can transport you to childhood Thanksgivings.

But not all smells resurrect fond memories. Dumpsters, dirty diapers, and dead fish can cause us to turn our noses. To this day I cannot stand the smell of Lysol since it was the air freshener of choice when I would throw up as a child. If someone sprays it today my mind immediately goes back to being a sick ten year old.

Did you know that the Bible actually tells us how to smell? I’m not joking. In II Corinthians 2:15 Paul told the church that “we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

I can just hear some critic saying, “The Bible is full of so many rules, it even tells us how to smell!” But in reality, this is not so much a command as it is a reminder. As Christians, we do smell like Christ.

Not literally, of course. But when someone walks by with that familiar perfume and you so quickly are reminded of someone else, we should do the same thing to “those who are perishing.” When you walk into a room, the people in it should think Jesus walked in.

When you choose to forgive, to love, put others ahead of yourself, use your speech to uplift, keep your temper in check, or turn the other cheek, you are putting off the scent of Christ.

Make sure that it is a good smell that is emanating from you. When you live the opposite way you are more like that dumpster, or some road kill, which make people turn away.

If you haven’t been smelling good, spray on the cologne of Christ. 

Making a Change

Are you satisfied with the way you are living your life?

Is there anything about yourself that you would like to change? I often hear people say that they wish they could kick a certain habit, but no matter how much they try, they have been unsuccessful at making these changes.

The reality, though, is that we cannot make ourselves better.

Not without help anyway. Philippians 2:13 says that it “is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.”

If you are a Christian then you have God working within you to help bring about His good pleasure, which is sanctification, or becoming more like Him.

This does not mean that every single Christian will automatically be made different; we have to be willing to work with God, for He will not change us against our will. We have to be willing to remove the things that He convicts us of.

So if there is something in your life that you know you need to change, confess the sin to the Lord and ask for His help in making the change.  

Known by Christ

Through our ministry I have had the privilege of meeting several famous people, including the Georgia Bulldogs football coach Mark Richt. I had the privilege of speaking with him for several hours, and he signed a picture for me and wrote, “To Tommy, Go Dawgs!” As a Gator fan, I certainly don’t like his “Dawgs,” but I still proudly display that framed picture in my office.

If I were to go to the sidelines at a Georgia football game and begin to yell at the coach, do you think he would remember me? I could remind him that we spoke one time over a year ago, and I could even tell him about the picture he signed for me. His response, however, would probably be, “Sorry, buddy, but I don’t know you.”

For many people, that is how their judgment will be. Speaking of that day in Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus said that many people will plead their case by telling Jesus all the good things they did, but His response will be, “I never knew you.” They will depart into everlasting punishment.

You might remind Jesus that you went to church, prayed a few times, or did nice things, but like with me and the coach, that is not enough for a relationship. To be known by Christ you must turn from your sins and give your life to Him, and only then will the relationship begin.

 Does He know you?