God loves Everybody

When I was studying at UiTM Samarahan, there was a friend who always joining us for gathering in campus. Whenever he came, most of us would find a way to avoid him. He is a kind of man who would pollute the positive atmosphere by his negative auras. His present alone would make us want to commit suicide (at least for me). And when he speaks, his words are like a poison to our soul. What amazing was not because he managed to join us for the whole semesters, but it was a miracle because we can survive with him around! Have you met anyone like him? John Doe or Jane Doe or both?

When I recalled back this story, I discovered that it was not because of how good we are that we’re able to survive when he’s around… none of us were. It was a Christian Gathering that we attend. It’s a place for the broken, the joy giver, the weak, the strong, the poor, the rich, the dumbest, the smartest, the sinner, the righteous, the blur, the player, the pessimist, the optimist etc. We are one people gathering together even though we’re from difference kind of backgrounds, ethnics and languages… we serve the same Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ.

God loves everybody. Because of this fact, we are able to love the unlovable and show kindness to everyone. If you abide in Him, He will abide in you. St. John said, ‘Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God.’ (1 John 4:7)

John C. Maxwell in his another great book entitle Encouragement Changes Everything (Thomas Nelson 2008, page 74-78), writes about someone who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out – and how others treated that person:

A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”

An objective person came along and said, “Well, it’s logical that someone would fall down there.”

A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”

A mathematician calculated how the individual fell into the pit.

A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on the person in the pit.

A fundamentalist said, “You deserve your pit.”

A Calvinist said, “If you’d been saved, you’d never fallen in that pit.”

An Armenian said, “You were saved and still fell in that pit.”

A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in the pit.”

A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit.”

A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.

An IRS worker asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.

The country inspector asked if he had permit to dig the pit.

A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”

An optimist said, “Things could be worst.”

A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.”

Jesus, seeing the man, reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

God loves everybody. If we claimed to be his Children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

Remember this; THINK BIG because His love is available for anybody who want to receive Him as Lord and Savior, START SMALL by showing your love for God in a practical ways - every time, everyday, everywhere and in every situations. GO DEEP in His Word, ‘I am giving you a New Commandment: Love each other, just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.’ (John 13:34-35)