Touchable, Lovable, and Changeable

Touchable

Psalm 136:23

It is He who remembered us in our low estate, 

for His steadfast love endures forever;

People came to Jesus.  When He was tired, hungry, hurting... People still came.  Always more people.  He didn't live in a "compound" where he could escape when he became overwhelmed.  He didn't have high walls with electric fence, razor wire, and broken glass on top.  He didn't sit in a special seat at church or eat apart from the rest.  He was with the people He loved.  What an example to us.  

Sometimes we have to take safety precautions, but it should not make us unreachable by those who need us.  The people we work with and love should know we are always available.  

"Jesus refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit.  He chose instead to be a touchable, approachable, reachable Jesus."~ Max Lucado

As missionaries we need to be "touchable".  We need to let people see our lives.  We need to let people become a part of our lives and become a part of their lives.  As God lives through our words and deeds He becomes a part of their lives.  That can not happen if we're untouchable.  

Please pray that we would be "touchable".  Pray that we would not seclude ourselves for the sake of comfort, but that we would be open and available and live real lives in front of others.  Please pray that we would build relationships that are deep and life changing both for us and for them.  

Lovable

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love... bears all things, believes all things.

God loves us in all circumstances.  He rejoices in our rejoicing and he mourns in our sorrow. He loves us as we wallow in the mire of our sin and He loves us when we depend on the Spirit to overcome temptation.  He always loves us.  

We see conditionally.  We judge others against our own "righteousness".  We see through our own human, sinful filter.  And we choose not to love.  We would never admit that.  We say we love everyone, but then our actions say something else entirely.  

"Wouldn't it be great if love were like a cafeteria line?  It would be easier.  It would be neater. It would be painless and peaceful.  But you know what?  It wouldn't be love.  Love doesn't accept just a few things.  Love is willing to accept all things." ~ Max Lucado

God doesn't pick and choose what he wants to love about us and then act according to our behavior.  We can't do that either.  God has sent us as ambassadors of His love to a lost and hurting world.  We need to learn to love like God loves.  Allow His love to flow through our lives and into the lives of those around us.  

Please pray that we would be willing to love everyone.  Even the unlovable.  Even when we become frustrated and tired and hungry and grumpy.  Pray that we would do all things in love.  And that all those around us would see God's love in us. 

Changeable

Isaiah 64;8

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

God desires for me to become just like Jesus.  I am nothing more than clay in His master potter hands.  I can choose to be difficult, hard, dry clay, or I can choose to be moist, moldable, and easy to work with. Praise God I do not have to remain who I am today, but can be changed day by day, bit by bit into the image of Christ.  My bad habits are no excuse and neither are the disagreeable aspects of my character.  God can and will change all that!  If God is going to use us here for His glory we need to be changed.  It is not negotiable.  We can not stay who we are and be useful for God.  At least not to the fullest of His plans for us.  Please pray that we would be changeable.  Please pray that God would change us into His image for others to see Him in us.  And that as He is changing us He would be drawing others to Himself as they see His changes in us.