Nuts & Bolts

“I am a Christian, not because someone explained the nuts and bolts of Christianity, but because there were people willing to be nuts and bolts.” ~Rich Mullins

I was once criticized for the way I share my faith on Facebook. I of course make no apologies – Jesus has transformed my heart & life by His grace and I will proclaim His saving grace until my dying breath. If you personally know me or have met me in person, then you know I will most likely not be preaching or quoting scripture to you, but I will promise to love you, right where you are, and be a friend, without judgment or condemnation. And I pray that when I fail, I'll quickly ask you to forgive me.

Recently, when I read the above quote by Rich Mullins, I got to thinking about the “nuts & bolts” of Christianity and what it looks like to me and has been in my own life. Daily I am humbled and blessed by the opportunities God has allowed in my life, to be on the receiving end, as well as getting to be the nuts & bolts as well.

These are some of the nuts & bolts:

• Having someone come alongside you when you have sinned or are walking down a path that leads to heartache and destruction and feeling loved unconditionally, even though you’ve failed.

• Listening to someone share their story, their own unique circumstance that has caused them to reach out, even when they’re terribly afraid of rejection.

• Mentoring that new teenager that’s moved into your neighborhood, or been visiting at church, attending their ballgames or concerts, showing them that us “older” folks can be understanding and loving, no matter where they are in life or their relationship with God.

• Offering biblical accountability, full of grace and truth, while sticking with that friend who is going through a valley, whether one of their own doing or at the hands of someone else.

• Preparing a meal for someone who has a loved one in the hospital, or is struggling in some way and just could use a nice meal cooked by someone else.

• Offering to babysit for that busy Mom, that could use a night out with friends or just to relax.

• Sending a card or note of encouragement to that person who has encouraged you, often without knowing that their hug, or smile, or kind word was used to brighten a sad moment or week.

• Sitting with someone, sometimes with nothing to say, but offering a hug, a shared heartache or crying together as they grieve a loss (could be the death of a child or spouse, a miscarriage, or the painful death of a marriage or the heartache of a wayward child).

• Greeting someone with a smile, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve seen them, asking them how life has been, then taking the time to actually listen to their response.

• Encouraging someone to see the truth of how God sees a difficult season or situation they are facing, praying that God will reveal to them any lies they have been believing.

• Rejoicing with someone when they finally let go of the guilt and shame of an abortion from 20 years ago as they accept God’s forgiveness, then seeking to help them become whole and doing so without condemnation.

• Embracing that homosexual partner of your friend or family member, choosing to love them even in the midst of their sin, inviting them to dinner, praying God will reveal Himself to them one day.

• Standing by someone when they finally have the courage to leave an abusive situation (or are still in one), taking them to lunch, sending them a note of encouragement, making them feel special and loved, when all they’ve known is degradation and shame.

• Then there is the holy, sacred sweetness of standing in a homeless shelter or mission outreach, worshiping alongside the homeless or poor, serving them and watching some come to know that although they have nothing by the world’s standards, they have Jesus and they know He is everything and He is enough.

• Getting to host or participate in the baby shower for the girl who is not married, but is facing new motherhood and needs to know she is not alone.

• Anonymously blessing someone financially or physically – even someone who may have betrayed you or hurt you in the past.

• Visiting someone in jail, showing them that they are loved and cared for, even when they've totally screwed up.

• Writing to someone in rehab or prison, sharing hope and encouragement with them at their darkest hour.

• Hosting a dinner and small group study in your home, inviting neighbors, co-workers, your hairdresser, a waitress or the girl who rung up your groceries at Wal-Mart.

• Choosing not to walk away from a negative friend who points out everyone else’s faults to you (and your faults to others), but instead trusting that God has placed them in your life for a reason, if nothing more than to keep you on your knees in prayer and ever aware of your own frailties.

• Keeping the confidence and secrets of another, not sharing with anyone but God when someone entrusts you with their inner turmoil and pain.

• Being a sounding board and listening to the friend who thinks their spouse may be cheating.

• Loving the addict who’s struggling to leave their addiction behind, yet still enslaved to the lie that it will never end (it could be alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, food, toxic relationships, drama, pornography, or any other life-controlling issue).

• Caring for the broken girl who’s grown up a victim and it now a broken woman, just needing to know it’s okay to dream and believe life really can be different.

• Offering hope to the friend who just experienced bankruptcy, the loss of a job, or has lost their home to foreclosure.

• Showing grace to the self-righteous friend – the one who can’t even see how pride & unforgiveness has made them bitter, and is slowly killing their witness, their marriage, or their worship.

• Spending time with the single Mom, now struggling to raise a child alone, all the while feeling the condemning stares of others who blame her and consider her singleness a humiliation.

• Showing mercy and choosing to respond with kindness to the jealous, gossiping or back-biting “friends” who’d rather spew lies than seek reconciliation.

• Sharing life and attending doctor’s appointments with the person who is facing cancer.

• Remembering that perception is NOT reality, and that we all see things through our own lens of experience and life circumstances, yet knowing that through the lens of God's Word, our perception can line up with what is really true, if we will only trust Him and believe.

By God’s amazing grace, I’ve been blessed with much heartache, loss, betrayal, and many unfortunate trials in this life. Through each experience, He has broken my heart first over my own sin, then over others, giving me a glimpse of His enormous grace and compassion for “the least of these” – which by the way, are often those who outwardly seem to “have it all” but are inwardly desperately missing what’s really most important.

Will I fail to exhibit His love, mercy and grace in these situations when I face them? Sometimes, yes. But by His grace, I can daily choose to surrender to the life of Christ within me and let Him love others through me, no matter what! I will continue to pray for a sensitivity to His Spirit and a heart that is quick to repent. Please make no mistake when you read this (or any of my posts), I struggle with my own besetting sins and challenges every day. But I serve a Mighty God, who is daily conforming me into His Image and has given me victory over & over! He continues to lead me, by His unchanging Word, down the path that He has prepared just for me!

NOTE: This post in no way means that if I am concerned about the path you are on, or destructive choices you are making that I will not pray for an opportunity to lovingly confront you and seek to see your life restored and renewed by God’s Word and His grace. I’ll also walk through this messy life with you and love you, even in the midst of a mess. I will do so with fear and reverence of God, knowing all too well the pit of sin He has delivered me from and the depth of forgiveness He has shown me. My mind can barely comprehend the depths of it without much gratitude and awe.

So, I will strive to be an encouragement on Facebook. I want those in my social media circle to know that Jesus is alive, He is real and if He can change my wretched heart, then there is hope for ANYONE!

My heart’s desire is to lift others up, to allow Jesus to shine through me, even in the midst of my own issues and this beautiful messy life He’s given me. May I be a light in a dark, dark world!

Today, I challenge my Christian brothers & sisters to go out each day being the “nuts & bolts”. Share life with those around you, letting Jesus love them through you, right where they are. :-)