In and Through Me

I sat watching a movie I never dreamed of watching solely to spend time with those around me at that moment. I had come to believe the things I chose to place in my mind can be very powerful to a point. As I sat and listened, I found myself analyzing each piece of the movie as I was taught in a class I had taken in college. But the things that affected me the most were the reactions of those who were watching the movie with me. They questioned why the girl in the movie didn't like the actions of her boyfriend, the main character, and broke up with him. During this particular scene, the main character goes to the counter of a restaurant to get his order. A man walks up beside him to rob the cashier and he nonchalantly walks away as if he saw nothing. As he continues to walk, he then knocks over a high chair that contains a baby because he is not watching where he is walking. He does nothing to help the baby up or to comfort the parents. Then the final act he blatantly disregards is an act of murder going on right beside him. His actions are a bit dramatic to make a point but as I watched the movie, I heard someone in the room say "What was wrong with what he was doing?" I began to think of the verse saying "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom

of God has been given to you, but to others

I speak in parables, so that, " 'though seeing,

they may not see; though hearing,

they may not understand.

I personally asked myself if most people in life really go through life not caring this much. This verse slowly reminded me that God has given me The Spirit to stay with me and live in and through me. If I am choosing to act in another manner, then it is because He is living in and through me. This is something that not everyone has chosen. When I was young, we always sang a song called "They Will Know Us By Our Love" at camp each summer. This action of love is not why God loves us. It can't change how much He loves us. But it can show others that He lives through us. For a long time I saw that I was trying to convince others to see Christ or live for Him. This is not what He wants. He wants to live IN and THROUGH me. He will do all the work to have them see who He is. I have to be willing to abide in Him and allow Him to work through me. I have to be willing to walk through life doing what the world is doing and just passing the hurting by. The situations of hurt around you may not be as dramatic as this movie, but they are there. They are all around us and God wants everyone to see who He really is and that He cares. Will you allow Him to use you and abide in you?