“We have been given the privilege to host this presence. The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake but he is upon me for yours.”
― Bill Johnson, Manifesto for a Normal Christian Life
I sat in the drive thru line up at Starbucks, it was just like any other Wednesday except it wasn’t. As I waited in line for my turn at the drive thru I looked up hearing a commotion coming from the car in front of me. I saw a middle aged woman dressed in ragged clothing with tears streaming down her face pleading with the driver in front of me “I haven’t eaten in days and my boyfriend kicked me out… I just need to eat.” I heard her say.
As I watched the women in the car in front of me ignore her the woman walked back over to the building and leaned up against the wall and continued to cry, head sunk down and abandoned of any hope. She didn’t even look up or even try to speak to me as I pulled up beside her. I called to her and motioned for her to come over to my vehicle. “Do you need something to eat, I asked?” She nodded wiping away her tears. I reached into my wallet and took out some cash and handed it to her. She thanked me and quickly walked away to go get some food.
As I sat there in the drive thru that morning, waiting for my order, I thought of Peter and John on the morning that they were walking to the Temple to worship when they encountered the crippled beggar. “But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” Acts 3:6-8;
I found myself wondering what could it have been that she really needed this morning? What would her day have looked like if she had just met Jesus in the drive thru that morning? I found myself driving away that morning praying, asking the Lord to change anything He needs to in my life to ensure the next time an opportunity like this comes up I had more than silver and gold to bring to the situation.
Points to Ponder:
The Father’s goal for the lives of His sons and daughters is nothing less than an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ to the world around them.
- What if the only encounter with Jesus a person ever has is the one they have through you and me? Are we prepared for that moment?
When we fully comprehend the price that Jesus paid to have His Body broken to break the power of the curse of sin and death upon our bodies, and the cost of the crucifixion to nail our sin to the cross, there can be nothing less than a realization of the full and complete power of the Cross releasing heaven on earth in our lives, and into our communities.
- The Cross of Jesus Christ and the price He paid demands of us the cost of bringing the world into an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ through you and me.
Take Action:
Be aware that at any given moment, God may want to extend His life through you to a lost and dying world that is without hope and living in despair.
Prepare yourself by taking the time to spend with the Father so that like Jesus at any given moment when a demand is made on the anointing you carry that you can hear what the Father is saying and see what He is doing so you can bring the world into an Encounter with the person of Jesus through you.
Don’t give up on yourself if you fall short. Use the experience to learn and to motivate yourself to be better prepared for the next opportunity.