Seeing People

A couple of Sundays ago our pastor preached a message that made me cry. It wasn't a horrible, convicting sermon, just one that made me think, and if I think too much, I usually cry. Maybe I hurt my brain when I think too much.

He gave us this challenge...to see someone as a person that Jesus died for...

Even if the person is not very pretty, or doesn't wear today's style of hair or clothes. See those people as someone Jesus gave up His perfect home...perfect home...to come to this earth and be so brutalized He wasn't recognizable.

See the people who are "invisible" as people that Jesus came to die for. He came because he loved them so much He couldn't stand the thought of spending eternity without them. The people who are your checkout lady at Wal-mart who is having a bad day. Or the hundreds of people you never even see in traffic every day. Or the dude in the drive-thru with his pants hanging down to his knees. He died for them. He DIED for them.

Sometimes it's easy to see the "beautiful" people as lovable, or worthy of Jesus' love. Easy on the eyes, has a beautiful voice, whatever. Well, they must be worthy people, right? As pretty as they may be on the outside, their hearts may be just as full of junk and heartache as one of the "unlovable" ones. We need to see them as people He came to die for as well.

You know who else we need to change our mind's eye about? People who get on our nerves, make us mad, or even who have hurt us. Just because of this doesn't mean Jesus doesn't want them to come to Him. His forgiveness is a precious gift He longs to bestow everyone.

Can you see others like that? Can you see each person, no matter how beautiful or how unlovely, as something God exquisitely crafted? Now let me ask you this...can you see yourself like that?

Can you see yourself as the one that Jesus gave up perfection and angels' adoration to come to this sin-wrecked earth to be abused and killed? Can you see yourself as the one that He can't stand the thought of living eternity without? Can you see yourself as the one He wants to wrap His forgiveness around like a warm blanket on a cold night? Or, because most of us are sweltering right now, can you see yourself as the one He wants to refresh with His peace?

Can you see yourself as one who, like David, would say, "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" (Psalm 139:17-18)

Bro. Rick said on that Sunday that we all have a price tag. It's 3.16. I'll let you think about that one, and if you can't figure it out, please let me know and I'll fill you in. But doesn't that sound cheap? On the contrary...it's priceless.