This morning I was having a conversation with Paul Lewis, our Pastor To New Believers, and he was sharing how much this morning’s reading in the Purpose Driven Life had meant to him. So, I asked him to guest write today’s blog on the PDL. Enjoy Paul’s thoughts…

I love the red sandstone here in Arizona. I have a chunk that I collected off the side of the road some time back. This piece sits on a shelf in our house (I know it sounds weird, but once I even bought a rock because it looked cool). It occurred to me in my devotions that that stone is like my heart.  It is a hard rock that you could walk on, but over time God shapes it and chips off the corners until finally it is melted away into sand. I love people, and care for them, but sometimes my hard heart makes me want to slap them up side the head and say “why did you get yourself into this mess, what were you thinking.”  Sometimes I care on the outside, but wonder if I really care on the inside. I don’t want to go through the motions. I want to care deeply for people. I don’t want to judge their situation, I just want to care and show them the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

Along with my devotions (I’m currently in Jeremiah), I am reading “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren (today was day 18) and “Just Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit worked especially today through these authors to address this area of my life that I need to grow in. To reach people for Christ (and to care for those who know Him) we need to truly care for them and interact with them. Bill (JWAR) pointed out what I already knew, that for most Christians, the longer you believe, the less you interact with the non-believing world. He goes on to say that this isn’t God’s plan. We need to get to know our neighbors and others we come in contact with daily by truly caring for them.  Do you know the story of your checker at the store? Then Rick (PDL) points out that in Galatians 6:2 it says that we need to share each other’s troubles and problems, in doing so we obey the law of Christ (To love one another). Notice that it says share them, not just hear about them.

Here goes another chunk of rock! I know and trust that God is working in my heart to mold me daily more and more into His image. My prayer is that when I see Jesus face to face He will show me a jar of sand to show me that my heart was been melted away. That’s my prayer for you today too! Take the time to call someone to show that you care. Ask someone you encounter today to tell you their story and pray for them. Let the love of Christ leak out of you today and spill into the life of someone else.

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