You and I have a weapon that is effective against all of society's ills. We aren't skilled at using it properly and aren't even aware of how powerful it is. It's so secret some of us don't even realize we own it.
I heard on the radio this morning the testimony of a muslim man who became a follower of Jesus Christ. He was asked, "What was your turning point?" He answered that the threat of hellfire and brimstone didn't faze him. That was his world. He was raised on hate. He was taught to pray for people's destruction from the time he was very young. The turning point - what won him for Christ - was love. People who kept praying for him in spite of his actions; people who wouldn't argue with him, return insults; people who were only kind continually no matter what he dished out. Then he was handed a Bible and he read about Jesus and recognized the same attitude and love in Him. This love was so real and so powerful, so unrelenting that it wore down his defenses, softened his hate-hardened heart and brought him to his knees. It was more powerful than any weapon he'd been trained to use.
Think about love for a minute. We all possess it. We have no idea how powerful a weapon it is and haven't been trained to use it properly. Could we end violence, homelessness and other of society's ills if we all used our secret weapon to its full potential? If we were moved by love toward the panhandler on the street, the alcoholic, the bigot, our annoying co-worker, the black sheep in our family instead of disgust, pity or guilt, would they experience a turning point in their lives like the muslim man this morning did?
Jesus said, "By this they will know you are mine, that you have love one for another." He also told us to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. It was effective in the life of the muslim man. There is no reason to believe it wouldn't be effective everywhere else too.
I'm not going to conceal my weapon any longer. I'm going to carry it right out in the open where everyone can see it. I'm going to read the owner's manual (the Bible) and learn what it can do and how to use it properly. I'm going to practice getting it out of my holster quickly and I'm going to target practice so that when I aim it, it will hit its mark. I want to be proficient with such a powerful weapon. I want to love like Jesus.
I heard on the radio this morning the testimony of a muslim man who became a follower of Jesus Christ. He was asked, "What was your turning point?" He answered that the threat of hellfire and brimstone didn't faze him. That was his world. He was raised on hate. He was taught to pray for people's destruction from the time he was very young. The turning point - what won him for Christ - was love. People who kept praying for him in spite of his actions; people who wouldn't argue with him, return insults; people who were only kind continually no matter what he dished out. Then he was handed a Bible and he read about Jesus and recognized the same attitude and love in Him. This love was so real and so powerful, so unrelenting that it wore down his defenses, softened his hate-hardened heart and brought him to his knees. It was more powerful than any weapon he'd been trained to use.
Think about love for a minute. We all possess it. We have no idea how powerful a weapon it is and haven't been trained to use it properly. Could we end violence, homelessness and other of society's ills if we all used our secret weapon to its full potential? If we were moved by love toward the panhandler on the street, the alcoholic, the bigot, our annoying co-worker, the black sheep in our family instead of disgust, pity or guilt, would they experience a turning point in their lives like the muslim man this morning did?
Jesus said, "By this they will know you are mine, that you have love one for another." He also told us to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. It was effective in the life of the muslim man. There is no reason to believe it wouldn't be effective everywhere else too.
I'm not going to conceal my weapon any longer. I'm going to carry it right out in the open where everyone can see it. I'm going to read the owner's manual (the Bible) and learn what it can do and how to use it properly. I'm going to practice getting it out of my holster quickly and I'm going to target practice so that when I aim it, it will hit its mark. I want to be proficient with such a powerful weapon. I want to love like Jesus.
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