Last week I watched a travel show that highlighted the beautiful island of St. Helena. It can only be accessed by boat. It is rich in culture as well as soil. In fact, the coffee beans on St. Helena are harvested to brew the most expensive coffees in the world. During the segment, the traveler asked the local if he could taste some of this fine coffee. The man laughed and said, "It is so valuable, it all gets exported. There is none here to taste." I remember thinking how sad it was that the fruit of the land was considered so valuable that the locals could not enjoy it. Rather it was monetized and sent out to people who would never visit the place where the coffee originated. I began thinking about the Church. We are rich in resources. But I think in certain parts of the Church we end up exporting the best love and help and do not enjoy these things in our fellowship. We give time, money, love, mercy, grace, and many other things to the world without thinking. We know these elements are valuable and that they can only be found in pure form within the Church. So we give them away to people who will never even visit our place. But are the people in the Church experiencing what we are exporting? It would be a shame if those in the Church do not experience the love, mercy, grace, and other resources we are sharing with the world in an attempt to help them see what they are missing. What if a sinner gets greater attention outside of the family than they get in the family? It could feel like a bait-and-switch. The apostle Paul recognized our ability to export the greatness of the Church. So he was constantly reminding believers to love as well inside as we do outside. Here is one thing he said... Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10) We should not back off of exporting the goodness of God found in the family of God. We don't have to. There is plenty to go around out there... and in here. Today, share the resources of God with everyone.. especially your fellow-believers. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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