Tonight I read a chapter out of a book my parents have been reading in their Sunday School class. Our two books have been remarkably similar at many times. This week would be one of the very similar topics. This book is called, "Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them." The chapter is on gratitude and after my mother finished reading it with tears in her eyes she told me to read it. I've read the book before but this chapter was definitely an appropriate read for me today. Appropriate for my current quest in life: to live in intentional community with the radical love of Jesus.
John Ortberg says, "The ability to assign value is one of the rarest and most precious gifts in the world. People who live deeply in community learn to discern and express the value of other human beings. They are masters of expressing love in word and gesture. They assign high worth, value, and importance to others by viewing them as priceless gifts. They see that in addition to the "as-is" tag, every human being carries another sticker from God: 'Made in my image. Worth the life of my Son. My prized possession whose value is beyond calculation.'"
Early in my faith journey when I became a new creation in Christ I remember realizing a simple thing. It's not about me; but my purpose is to glorify God. Today, I feel like this picture of glorifying God has a new detail. I see much truth in this statement Ortberg makes, "We complicate our faith and lives in many ways, but at the core, our purpose is simple: We are called to love."
This is so true and can be such a powerful thing--sadly, it seems like it's easier and more common to take away value.
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