Philippians 2:5 New Living Translation (NLT)
You must have the same attitude Christ Jesus had.
How does Jesus look at people? How
does Jesus welcome people and talk to them? How do we experience
Jesus today? What is the attitude of Christ Jesus? In quick
response, these are questions that probably have one line answers
based on our study of the Bible or our religious beliefs. However,
the more time I spend with the poor and oppressed, the more folks I meet
with brokenness and loss, the more involved the answers to these
questions become.
Often my attitude is jaded, filled with
past experiences and future expectations, missing Jesus standing
right in front of me. I do feel like Christ disguises Himself within
the broken and poor who I meet within the ministry of Outflow. It’s
true there is a lot of evil people in the world, people with sick
demented minds. This is simple truth and the reality of the world we
live in. In the same way, I have met many with the attitude of
Christ with nothing but the tattered clothes on their back. The
more time I spend with folks at Outflow, the more I fall in love with
Father God.
If you’re a Christian, I think it’s
fair to say you’d like to be more like Jesus, with a consecrated
heart and a life led by the Holy Spirit, loving God and loving
others. You would like to live a life that honours the Lord we love by being steady in
our walk and experiencing the fullness of Jesus. Sometimes seeing pain
within the poor and broken causes personal pain, so we avoid the
situation, running the other way and perhaps doing nothing. Don’t
be mistaken, pain isn’t always a bad thing and Christ can certainly
meet you in these moments. If you love Jesus, don’t run from painful
situations because often it’s where we experience the full freedom
of Christianity and where faith is strengthened.
On April 30, 2014 the Outflow men’s
shelter opened. Since opening, I have spent time with some great
guys, and have been challenged with the idea of attitude in the midst of
pain, loss, addiction, mental illness, in battle or any type of
personal turmoil. Jesus is so good. What is my attitude in sickness
and in health? Can someone be too far gone that they can’t be
saved? Not a chance! I know we are all equally loved by God and I
do not believe we are alone. Some of my brothers truly do feel they
are at the absolute end and my eyes have been opened to the reality
of being a brother, embracing these guys like family. Together we’ll
experience Jesus.
To the guys at the shelter and anyone
else with just the clothes on your back: You are fearfully and
wonderfully made. Give your life over to Jesus. God loves you, even
in your weakness and with just the few things you have left in this
life. Together let’s teach each other Jesus because whether you
feel healthy or know you’re sick, we all need Jesus.
God Bless- Jayme
