Irresistible Invitation by Maxie Dunham - Day 18

Irresistible Invitation:  Responding to the Extravagant Heart of God                   

Day 18: Humble and Available

 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Matt. 5:7-8

 

Do you have any good stories about people who are walking a faithful walk in the Christian faith?  I’m sure you do.  One of the dimensions Maxie Dunham paints for us for a person who is truly alive in Christ is the dimension of “generosity of self.”  Christians who are truly alive in Christ are generous in their giving of self. 

 

In 1 John we read these words:

 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God: but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:7-12).

 

Maxie tells us that John is saying that “God sent Jesus into the world to be the ultimate expression of himself, an expression of love.  We are to love in that same way, but we can’t do that if we’re so focused on ourselves .. that we miss the cries of the people around us.”  To get here, to be able to love in this way, we have to be able to let go of pride and instead put on humility.  “Humility is essential for our relationship with God to unfold.” 

 

If you were asked to care for a baby - a newborn, AIDS infected baby born addicted to heroin.. If you were asked to take into your home a newborn baby, dying of AIDS and born addicted to heroin – would you, could you do so?  Maxie tells a story of a community of Roman Catholic lay workers who did this for many babies.  Baby after baby needing incredible care and patience, all of whom died or will die.  When asked why they did this, the answer was: “So they will know there are people in this world who love them.” 

 

We all need to know this, don’t we?  We all need to know there are people in this world who love us.  And it is us, those of us on this Christian walk, who are to be the channels of this love – God’s love.  And in doing so, it’s not going to be at our convenience.  Maxie says: “God is not in the habit of asking us to pick the best time in our schedules to be Christ’s love to others.  That’s where humility comes in.  The person alive in Christ – the person truly walking in meekness – is the one who responds, ‘Here I am.  Send me!’ whenever the Lord calls.”  While we are not to be doormats, while we are not called to let others walk on us at their will, we are to be available to follow the tugs provided by the Holy Spirit.  When we go and do as we are called by God, great blessings follow.

 

Maxie reminds us to not become smug in our following God’s leading.  There are always those who are doing so much more than we are, giving so much more, risking so much more.  Maxie talks about times that he felt the need to run and hide from being with those who seemed to be so much holier than he.  “It doesn’t hurt us to be reminded of our weakness, does it?  Though God has given us power, strength, and courage, we must always remember the source.  We may believe we have a choice about whether we walk in humility, but for the person alive in Christ, not doing so is not really an option.  The more we see of God’s greatness, the more we realize who we are, in contrast, and the more we want to focus on God’s plans rather than our own.”

 

 

The Heart of the Matter

 

-         Are there any obstacles that prevent you from being more humble or available in your own life?  If so, what are they, and how can they be overcome?

-         Why is it so important for Christians to model humility to the world?

-         Recall a time when you chose to humble yourself rather than seek a reward.  What happened next?