Week 12 Day 3
Finding God in the Mysteries of every Day
Romans 15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
Several years ago there was a popular comedian who performed his routines with a large paper grocery sack on his head. No one ever really knew what he looked like. His stage name was “the unknown comic”. Perhaps the bag was to shield him from knowing how or whether the audiences accepted him.
Many Christians become the “unknown Christian” by refusing to be exposed in the world among their friends and co-workers or family. They put a bag over their heads figuratively speaking and act toward those whom, if we were being completely honest, that we fear.
Now you are asking; What does that have to do with the scripture from Romans?” The answer is humility. We always tend to think of ourselves as the ones who know, who have the inside track, and treat those who do not with pity and sympathy, that is until they reject and mock us for our clumsy attempts to share our faith with them. Our feelings get hurt, we vow to not let that happen again, and we reject as worthless and a waste of time any who don’t buy into our “picture” of Jesus. In our hurt pride we say to ourselves; “That was a waste of time.”
Many year ago I was exposed to some “motivational tapes” involving some sort of “pyramid” selling scheme. On one of the tapes the enthusiastic speaker intoned the following words. “Don’t waste your time on people who won’t accept what you’re offering them. You don’t need them, burn them.” When we bring this attitude to our attempts to witness we are expressing not the love and forgiveness of our Lord, we are merely exercising our own vanity and wrong headed ambition. God forgive us.
Larry M Lawrence- Mysteries 