Brilliantly YOU: Learning to Live Bold & Freeنموونە

YOU bring light to darkness.

We live full lives. In our busyness, we could fail to see the needs of those around us. But what if we paid a little closer attention? What if we saw beyond the titles they carried and the styles they wore and first impressions they gave and even the words they said to see the needs they have?

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus saw and responded to the needs of others. Jesus saw people not as threats, inconveniences or regrets.  He saw them not just as they were, but also as they could be. He saw their flaws and welcomed them anyway.  He saw people not as problems to be avoided, but mysteries to be explored. He saw people not as a means to His own agenda, but recipients of His compassionate love.

His example is a constant reminder that no one is just another face in a crowd. The person sitting next to you on the subway, the co-worker two cubicles down from you, the neighbor across the street, the barista on the other side of the counter, the orphan on the other side of the world, the individual posting questionable comments on their Facebook page, the political candidate trying to improve their rating at the polls, or the celebrity whose marital woes are featured on the cover of most magazines... is never just a face in the crowd. When we choose to see people with dignity and worth, we begin to seize everyday moments to do good that comes our way.

Embracing the way of Christ means we become restorers of dignity to whomever we come in contact with. We seek to know people as spectacularly and scandalously saved by grace children of God, to see the intricately and divinely designed masterpieces they are, to recognize not just the temporal exterior but the eternal within, to understand both their triumphs and their tribulations, to welcome them as they are while believing wholeheartedly in who they could be, and to bestow upon them the same value that was forever set by the precious blood of Jesus on the cross.

So today, why not actively venture to face the world with eyes wide open? Seek to really see those around you. Dare to open up your personal space to the needs of others. May your elbows get bumped and your ego a bit bruised if need be. May your plans get messed with by humanity in the best of ways. 

You have something wonderful to give to this world, and when you commit to lending a helping hand you bring hope and healing where it is needed most. 

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: How can you actively pay more attention to the needs of others today and respond with compassion? And what is one need in your community that you want to lend a helping hand to? How can you explore opportunities to begin serving your neighborhood? Give yourself a timeline to reach out and start making a difference!