Unsung Heroes: Compassion of Philip — Thursday
1 Peter 3:15-16a
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. (NLT)
My very first job was at a McDonald’s in Richmond, KY. I made a whopping $4.25 an hour, and I had two responsibilities. The first was to cook nuggets, chicken patties, and Filet-O-Fish. My second job was maintenance. Now, in case you just glanced over that second responsibility, go back and reread it. Now let me add some details. I was a 16-year-old kid with no training in McDonald’s maintenance and no experience in fixing things whatsoever. At best, I was a kid with a mop and a hammer pretending to fix things. I also need you to understand that I did not, in any way, lead the McDonald's management to believe that I knew anything about fast food maintenance.
So it shouldn’t surprise you to know that I asked a lot of questions. My boss, however, had no patience for questions. She would yell at me and tell me to figure it out because she was busy. I eventually realized it was better to not ask and try to figure things out for myself, or (more often) just pretend I was fixing something and hide out for a couple of hours.
My boss wasn’t helpful. And too often, Christians can have a similar posture when we get questions about our faith. We can become dismissive if we don’t approve of past life choices. We can become defensive if their beliefs are different from ours.
But the way Jesus interacted with people (especially people who were seeking answers) shows something very different. While He never watered down the truth, He also treated people with love and respect. When Zacchaeus sought Him out, Jesus didn’t treat him with contempt like the rest of the city. He had dinner with him. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman, He didn’t turn up His nose and avoid her. He took time to talk to her.
Simply log onto social media, and you’ll learn that our culture expects us to speak harshly and seek out conflict with anyone who believes something different than we do. Yet despite some valiant efforts, I have never seen an example of when yelling our views and beliefs at people has changed a heart. Instead, let’s be different and model Jesus’ love to everyone—regardless of their beliefs or views. Then, as Jesus speaks to and softens hearts, be prepared to share the truth and grace and love He is offering to everyone.
Thursday’s Reflection
Take time today to reflect on how you represent Jesus. Are you modeling the grace and love He showed you? Or are you modeling judgment and unkindness? Ask God to help you have the same heart for people that He does.