Every Man

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” Colossians 1:26-29

It would seem like Paul is trying to get a point across.  And that point is that we need to preach CHRIST, who is IN us, and is our HOPE of glory, to EVERYONE.  How soon I get distracted from that.  Just yesterday I was in Winston Salem, and passed an older gentleman who was holding a sign that read: "Homeless Vet; Needs Food" or something that effect.  I decided that I would stop and talk to him.  I found a parking spot a little ways away and went back to him.  He came over to me, the whites of his eyes yellowed and bloodshot, his breath thick with alcohol.  He asked me what I wanted, then asked me if I was a preacher, motioning towards my Bible.  I told him that I wasn't a preacher as he was thinking, but simply reaching out to him since the Bible tells us to preach the Gospel to ALL people.  He grunted in approval, and then asked if I was going to pray for him.  I said that I would, and made a pointed prayer asking God to soften his heart, and lead this man to Himself.  The poor drunken man didn't seem to care how pointed that I had been, and once we were finished, I asked him how I could help him.  He said that he needed money for food and for washing his clothing, but wanted to let me know that he drinks, as I would have probably noticed by his breath.  I told him that I had noticed the alcohol on his breath, and that while I would be happy to take him somewhere to get something to eat, I didn't want to supply him with cash just so he could drink it away.  He mumbled something about always saving enough money to get something to eat, then staggered off across the road, yelling something over his shoulder about how I shouldn't bother someone if I wasn't going to give them money.  I figured the case was closed, so I made my way back to my car.

After leaving, I was thinking to myself: "Yep, totally what I expected.  Wonder why I even stopped..."  Sadly enough, that is my mindset after doing something like that.  I get the idea that no one wants to hear, so "Why Bother."  Firstly, it's putting a command of the Bible and of God on the level of a "bother," and secondly, it is not taking into account the one that might be receptive.  We would have been totally out of luck if Jesus had decided that out of the billions of people on this earth, there were only a few hundred-thousand that were going to follow him, and only a few dozen that would *really* follow him in reckless abandonment of flesh and self.  Imagine with me if he had told God that it just wasn't worth the bother to save only a few.  That he might as well take care of things in heaven that were far more important that the few little people on earth that would end up living for themselves anyway.

Praise God that he didn't do that to us.  So, pray tell, why should we do that to others?  Do me a favor today.  Reach out beyond your comfort zone, and touch someone else's life today.  They may not show it, but you could be an answer to their prayer.  Be sensitive to God, and let him use you for HIS eternal glory, and the salvation of souls!