{"id":20759,"date":"2019-03-29T09:31:37","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T13:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=20759"},"modified":"2019-07-11T19:11:17","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T23:11:17","slug":"love-where-the-rubber-meets-the-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=20759","title":{"rendered":"Love- Where the Rubber Meets the Road"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, Pastor Jim has often railed against the notion of a day for “Acts of Random Kindness.”\u00a0 One day?!?\u00a0 “Random Kindness” (or Love) should be at the core of a disciple’s day to day living.\u00a0 Active Love isn’t just a pie in the sky theory that we try out once in a while, but it’s continual contact with other people as we travel down life’s road.\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Love: where the rubber meets the road.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

But how do we do that?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Know, then Show…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Paul asked the people of Philippi a rhetorical question (in Philippians 2:1):<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ” <\/span>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

If you “know Christ”, the answer is obviously “yes”.\u00a0 Or, if you’ve experienced the wonder of a Springtime morning, or the beauty of a snowy afternoon, the answer is “yes.”\u00a0 Or if someone has come out of the woodwork to help you, encourage you, or even just to flash a knowing smile at you, the answer is “yes.”\u00a0 All of us have the opportunity to know the encouragement and comfort that springs from Christ’s love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When we\u00a0 “know Christ” and see love that He sends,\u00a0 Paul’s famous plea begins to make sense to us (Philippians 2:12-13):<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
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“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed \u2014 not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence \u2014 continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,\u00a0 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. ”\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

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Show, then Grow…<\/span><\/h3>\n

But how do we “work out” this salvation?\u00a0 How do we “act according to God’s good purpose?”<\/p>\n

In the March 29 article of the 2019 Lenten Devotional<\/span><\/a> booklet (published by local churches), Diane Sizemore asked a series of “Have you ever__?<\/em><\/span>” questions that give us an inspiring set of practical\u00a0 suggestions that can lead us to Continual Acts of Kindness.\u00a0 Click through each of these suggestions and consider how you can put them into “down where the rubber meets the road” practice:<\/p>\n

Have you ever___? …<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tComplimented someone and watched their reaction?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tHeld a door open for someone who was struggling?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSent a card, note, or email to someone who needed a lift?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGave a kind word or even just a smile to a stranger?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGave up a parking spot that rightfully should have been yours?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tLet someone go ahead of you in the grocery line?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tCalled someone just to ask how they were?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tDonated to a food pantry?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSpent some time with a lonely older person?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tTold a store manager how much you appreciated one of their employees?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tListened to someone who needed a nonjudgmental ear?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tHelped a mother with her young children who just needed a hand?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tBeen there for someone who was going through a tough time?\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\tOffered assistance to a neighbor who looked like they could use it?\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

 <\/p>\n

Random Acts?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Throughout any day, we “bump into” people.\u00a0 Our tendency might be to consider each of these interactions as “transactional.”\u00a0<\/p>\n