Clay Balls and Jewels

When you look at others, what do you see? Do you tend to classify them and judge them? Jesus didn't. When Jesus looked at others He didn't see a tax collector, a prostitute, or a fisherman. He saw sinners in need of salvation; He saw children in need of love; He saw a precious treasure. It is like the story of a man who found some clay balls. They didn't look special at all, but when he broke them open he found inside a precious jewel! Inside each person is a hidden treasure. But we can't see it until we take Christ's passion on ourselves. Christ's passion was people. "Jesus came to seek and to save the lost." Jesus cares about people's eternal well being. So should we. It is not enough to be saved. We must understand that there are others who are lost and need Jesus. As Philippians 2:4 tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
All too often we get caught up in what we think we deserve (our privileges), or how we like things (our preferences), or what we want to pursue (our passions). We get too self-centered; too caught up in ourselves, instead of realizing that Jesus calls us to look beyond ourselves just as He did. Philippians 2:8 reminds us that Jesus Himself sets for us an example: “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Jesus lets us know that even God Himself cared so much for the lost that He left His preferred place in heaven to come to this earth to share the love of God and to die for our sins.

So I leave you with this for today: How can you reach out beyond yourself and share God's love with someone else? Who is someone that God is calling you to reach? Know that even though we deserve spiritual death (Romans 6:23a, "For the penalty of our sin is death..."), God sent Jesus so that we could have life (Romans 6:23b, "...but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.") If God has so graciously given you this gift, don't you think others deserve it as well? Tell me what you think.