Selfish Christian

Far too often, I'm a selfish Christian. I miss the point altogether. Too often I get all caught up in how I am doing. How do I get past this sin? Why do I feel this way? When will I know what the Lord wants in this part of my life? Too often I forget that Christianity is not about me. It's about Jesus. It's about his love.

Sometimes I minimize Jesus to a cleaning solution...something that I spray on my scum littered heart to clean it up. However, the truth is that Jesus is so much more than that. The reality is that my sins are forgiven. And not just the sins of my past but the sins of my future, they're all erased. That is not all that Jesus and following him is about...although far too often that's exactly what I make it about.

Love.
Today, I came home to my apartment to find a stranger sitting on my couch. He was a young man about my age. I sat down, logged on my computer and checked my e-mail. The man was on the phone so I didn't interrupt him. Finally, he hung up his phone and stood up. I looked at him and we introduced ourselves.
I asked him, "So, what are you doing around here?"
"Well, my mom kicked my out of the house," he said.
"Her boyfriend doesn't like me much so they kicked my out about two weeks ago," he continued. "I'm friends with ASB and I've been living on the streets since I was kicked out. My sister brought me here last night."

I was stunned. Part of my heart broke for this young man, and sadly, part of my wondered what he did wrong and why he wasn't making something of his life. He went on to explain that he was looking for a job but it would be tough because he didn't have a car. I didn't have long to chat so that was about the extint of our conversation.

Tonight, I realized how often I think about my own spiritial status. I get caught up in my sins that have already been forgiven. Meanwhile, there's a young man out there who's been thrown out of his house and just needs to be loved. This truth broke my heart. I am certainly a selfish Christian. Lord, give me a heart for people like you had when you walked this earth, the kind of heart for people that led you to send your only son. Lord, let me love like you. Amen.