Sharing God’s love is fun. On Sunday we served at Humphrey’s Ridge and Carolina Marina. We gave out nearly 100 pool noodles, gave dozens of bottles of water, picked up trash and washed windshields. We also gave away a few Bibles.
There is blessing in giving. Giving is so unexpected in our culture. Sure, we’ll give to the needy or victims of disaster, but rarely do we find people who just want to give. Giving makes us more like God. “For God so loved the world that he GAVE…” I think I understand better the delight that God experiences as he shares his goodness with us. I think that I also understand the frustration when people treat a gift with suspicion. They think there’s a catch. They think that because many times Christians have given them that impression.
As followers of Jesus we are representatives of his character. We want people to see that Jesus is bringing good news. He wants to give us his love, so that it can flow out to others. He does call us to obedience, of course, but it is obedience borne of love for him. Serving him gives us joy – the joy of living unselfishly.
The project was so fun that it was hard to pull away from the marinas to gather again at the Long House. It seemed like we were just getting started. In a way we are just getting started. Our study of “Outflow” is designed to change our lifestyles permanently, so that we naturally live for ways to share God’s love.
I’m looking forward to our big Outflow Celebration this Sunday! Let me know if you have a story you want to share. It will be great to hear about all that God is doing!
