A few years ago I was at work one day when a woman that I work with, who shall remain nameless, a very nice woman that I respected a lot, came to my office. As she and I were talking I realized she needed a mint or a piece of gum. I did not want to hurt her feelings and since I didn't have any mints I offered her a piece of gum. She said "No thanks" and kept on talking. I REALLY wanted her to take this piece of gum. For not only was she talking to me she would be talking to other people and I did not want her to be embarrassed by her offense. So, once again I offered her gum. Once again she declined my offer.
I didn't know how to break it to her that I wasn't trying to just be nice and offer her a piece of gum for the gums sake it was a piece of gum for her sake. Finally I asked her, "If my breath smelled bad would you tell me?" She assured me that she would. I picked up the piece of gum and offered it to her once more. This time she took it.
We kind of laughed about it. I told her I had not wanted to offend her by offering her a piece of gum but I knew that she would not want to be talking to any one if she knew her breath was that bad. She was my friend so I felt compelled to warn her. She was very appreciative of my gesture and we made a pact that from that time on, if either of us offered each other a piece of gum then we would know and go do something about it or at the very least take the piece of gum. It worked out for the both of us.
She was my friend and I loved her enough to tell her "You need a piece of gum."
There was another gentleman that I worked with that always needed a piece of gum. I offered on more than one occasion to give him one. He never took me up on my offer. I still offered it.
How many times in our lives have we had the opportunity to offer gum to someone who really needed it. We could clearly smell the need as soon as they opened their mouth around us.
A lot of times in my life I have had the opportunity to share my faith with others. Sometimes it falls on receptive ears other times it does not. Most times it does not.
We live in a world of hurting people that clearly have a need of a Saviour. I try as much as I can to tell them and share with them, to offer them a peace that passes all understanding kind of salvation. So many times it gets rejected because they don't see that they have a need for it. They have a life that is falling apart or is need of something bigger than they are but they don't want it because it either doesn't fit what they think they need or they just plainly don't believe they have a need.
They sometimes want to know why I persistently share with them. Try to put my "religious beliefs" on them. They don't want it. They reject it. They turn away from it. Yet I persist.
The question is why? Why do such a thing when they are clearly put off by what I have to say and share with them. Why? Because I love them.
It isn't easy. Most of the time it is hard. You don't want to offend any one but yet you know it is the right thing to do. You have to warn them. You have to try and make them see. It is because of love I do these things. I can't help myself.
Love does strange things to people. It causes you to say things and warn people, even when they don't want to be warned. It causes you to cry out to God for your family and your friends and even your enemies.
True love is not offensive. True love tells you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it. True love offers life to all it can and all that will have it. But most don't want it.
They want me to stop, but I can't. You see, Jesus commanded me to love as He loved. And because I try to do that I can't help myself but to warn you, to tell you, to share with you all that the Lord has done for me and what He means to me.
I know because of my faith in Him I may alienate a lot of people, but just know, I am praying for you. I will always be willing to stand in the gap for you and tell you of a Saviours love. A love so magnificent that it hung on a cross for everyone. A love that could not be destroyed by death but arose the victor and that lives forever and forever. A love that knows no limits but will not always be offered. For I also believe that there will come a time of reckoning when all will stand before Him and be held accountable for our lives. There will be heavens reward or hell to pay.
And that is why I offer to you all that I know and can give. Even to those that I meet on the street sometimes, not just the ones that I know and love.
So who do you love enough, even though it it is embarrassing, or may cost you a friend or family member, to tell the truth to? To offer them love. To tell them "You need a piece of gum."
Tell as many as you can. Yes there is a cost to pay, but if you don't tell them, who will?
There are plenty of people out there who would be more than happy to offer them something. But it isn't because they love them, it is because they want them to be in as much misery as they are.
So again I ask you, have you told anyone lately "You need a piece of gum."
No comments:
Post a Comment