Because of HIM…

Years ago, the great famous Catholic bishop, Fulton Sheen, went to the southern part of Africa and he was visiting a leprosy colony and as he leaned down to talk to a man who had just a little loin cloth around him, laying on the ground, his body was eaten alive from leprosy and he also had many other soars from other diseases too, open running soars.  Fulton Sheen leaned down to talk to this man and as he did the cross, the crucifix around his neck, the chain broke and the cross fell into an open soar on the man's leg.  Fulton Sheen said, "I was just kind of repulsed by the whole picture, image of it." Then he said, "All of a sudden I was filled with compassion, with kindness.  I reached into that soar and I took up the cross." 

I don't know a finer definition of what it means to be a CHRISTian.  GOD wants you to go out this week in the market place of the world where people are hurting and bleeding emotionally and physically and mentally and spiritually, where people are hurting with obvious open wounds, and HE wants you to take up the cross.  The whole business of CHRISTianity is healing broken messed up lives.  If there is nothing in your life that has to do with any of that, I honestly doubt your CHRISTianity.  I really do.  CHRISTianity is not about just me feeling good and making my life easy, but it is radically other-centered.  The secret of kindness is to experience GOD's kindness yourself. 

Maybe the reason you have a hard time being forgiving and being kind and understanding is because you've never felt that way by GOD and you need to realize how kind GOD is to you.  When you honestly capture GOD's kindness to you, HE is irresistible.  You can't get away from it. 

Your self esteem is based on who you think the greatest person in your life thinks about you.  Again, I urge you to make JESUS CHRIST the most important person in your life.  Nobody will ever love you more than HE does.  No one.  Some of you have been looking to other people to meet your needs that only GOD can meet and that's why you're frustrated.  JESUS says, "Come to ME."  You need to say, "GOD I accept YOUr kindness" if you haven't done so.

Just a thought from the front porch…