I tend to lean on the side of logic. I’ve come to the realization through the years that, just like everything else, people have a different view of what would be deemed as logical or illogical. As a follower of Christ, my logic “hinges” on, to put it in simple terms, what Jesus would do or how He would act, how He would treat this person or that person. It has always ticked me off to see people take their so-called, “Christ”-rooted logic and use it for evil and injustice to others. I consider a perfect example to be all those lovely people that bash the gay community with their “God hates F*gs” signs, an illogical injustice when measured up to the humble loving logic of Christ. This example is an extreme, of course; I notice all sorts of “tiny” injustices served to others and lived out by others, all of them being rooted in our own selfishness, our own pride. So if injustice is rooted in selfishness and pride, then what is justice founded upon? Ahh, such a simple answer is coming, so much so that one might call it cliche’. Well folks, there are reasons for cliches’ and that is because more times then not, they are correct. The foundation of justice is humble love and we need to look no further then the life of Christ and the grace of God to see the highest example. To humbly love others, to rid our hearts of selfishness. As I think through this more and more, I begin to realize how selfish we can be, there are the extreme examples of bashing gays, bashing those of different race, making jokes at the expense of other people. As Crowder puts it, “the harder I try, the more clearly can I, feel the depth of our fall, and the weight of it all.” The harder I try to be more like Christ, to die to myself, to rid my heart of selfishness, to live out the humble love of Christ, the more clearly can I begin to feel the depth of our fall. I can truly see how far I am and we are as both followers and non-followers, as both a church and a world. I get a glimpse of how far we are from being worthy to be called little Christs. I can feel the weight, the challenge, the calling of living my life as a passionate, humble, loving follower of Christ.

The whole premise for this came about as this afternoon I was reading through the book of James. As I came across the passage of James 4:17, the words struck a chord within my heart.

James 4:17 NIV
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Wow, it made me think of how many times I saw someone who may have needed help and I didn’t even ask them if I could give a hand. It made me think of the many times that I have been driving and seen someone stranded on the side of the road and didn’t stop just to ask if I could help. I think of the many times in which I’ve seen a middle school or high school student or, heck, anyone for that matter, that was just sitting alone, keeping to themself and how I need to consider the opportunity I have to share in life with them by sharing my story and caring about their story, caring about their life. Even as I pass someone I don’t know in the hall or at a store or in a parking lot and I could simply just smile give them a head nod, acknowledge their existence simply by showing them a little love gesture. And how many times I ignore those I don’t know but even more so when I ignore those that I do know. Even if I don’t know them well, God has had us share a bit of our life together and yet instead of acknowledging that person, instead of sharing the humble love of Christ to that person, I would rather look the other way and pretend I didn’t see them so I can continue on my way undisturbed. Selfishness.

Some of you reading this may feel as though this things are just “minor” details, little hiccups or mishaps that occur on a daily basis but you don’t care about them because you’ve callused your heart from the little mishaps and have found contentment, perhaps even pride, within the fact that “Hey, at least I don’t steal or kill anyone”. Yet to make a very corny metaphor, that’s exactly what we are doing. We are stealing away from others the hope that we have inside, the hope of Jesus Christ, we steal that from them when we don’t share it with them. We kill the chance they have at eternal life, eternal love, eternal peace. I haven’t even mentioned the big injustices that we do nothing about, things such as homelessness, hunger, hate, and so on, and how we ignore these “major” problems because we don’t have the time to humbly love and serve others. We’ve become to consumed with ourselves, with our own comforts, with our own lives. Selfishness.

There is power in the little things that we do for one another. There is this power because the little things have been left for dead. If there is any challenge, any message that I would like to relay, then it is the most simple and the most cliche’ and sometimes the most ignored: to love others the way that Christ first loved us. Love others in the little things because those opportunities are always around us. Don’t wait until a missions trip or a service project to come around to show love to others. Be faithful to Him in the small things.

Philippians 2:1-5 NIV
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 6:3 NLT
We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way that we act and so that no one may find fault in our ministry, in His ministry.