"I Think We Have A Mutual Friend..."

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7


You know, I have always struggled with the thought that everyone gets the chance to hear about God, no matter how far in the jungle, desert or remote part of the earth.  I do believe God is all-powerful and that He can do anything, but counting on us to get to every person on earth seemed a little tougher than we as humans who enjoy the "easy" way and the dependency on Google Maps could handle.  Then I read this verse for the 100th time and I think I may finally understand...


God is not depending on us to find those people...they will come looking for Him.  This does not mean I will cut back on my donations to the mission program, but our mission teams may be getting some help before they ever arrive.


If by loving one another we are demonstrating God's most important gift, and therefore showing our attachment to God, whether we know it or not, we know God.  Mind-blowing!  Simply put, even the most despicable person you can think of, at one point loved someone.  Mother, Father, brother, sister, friend...someone touched that person's heart.  There was a commitment, no matter how long it lasted, or what the end result was, there was love.  As a child, we love unconditionally.  Good parents, bad parents, it is of no concern to the child, however the unconditional love can be affected by the poor example from bad parents.  If it is true that boys will try to emulate their father in order to meet a woman like their mother and vice-versa for girls, then the effect of poor demonstrations of love can certainly affect the future demonstration of true love from those children.  The interesting point here for me, is the fact that God places a child in your life that energizes the love God has so graciously given.  I do not care how "hardened" a person has become in their life, a child, pure with God's love, can touch that part of you that God wants to set free. 


Is it not amazing that in prison the most hardened criminal will not accept the abuse of a child and will punish the person who committed the crime against a child harsher than our own justice system?  Like I said, a child can touch the most significant part of who we are created to be...loving, caring people demonstrating the love of God.


Back to those remote missions...I am fairly certain God has blessed remote communities with children, families and love.  Perhaps the mission of our missionaries is not just to spread the Good News, but to demonstrate the love people already have inside and cannot understand where it is coming from.  To feel love so strong you would sacrifice your life to save another is a very strong emotion, and is difficult to wrap your head around when you don't know where that internal strength and commitment comes from.  Our biggest task in life is to encourage that love and magnify where it comes from.  It is from God, and those who love are born of God and know God.  


They just don't know it yet...