“I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” - Matthew 25:34-36

I'd like to share with you all today an excerpt from a poem I came across recently that resonated incredibly deeply with me. It was written by Teresa of Avila, a sixteenth-century nun, and it is titled “Christ Has No Body”

“Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.”

I would like to be clear that, yes we believe in Christ’s resurrection of His physical body, and NO He is not limited by us, but, is it not an overwhelmingly powerful thought to think that He chooses to use US as His body here on earth, to act out His intended purposes? Is it not beautiful and incredible that we are His first choice of tool to get things done? When you read the Bible, God, in all of His glory, seems to have a track record of insisting on using us, flawed as we may be, to accomplish whatever it is He means to do. But, how often do we actually LIVE like we believe that?

It seems to me that we as Christians have a tendency to get REAAALLY spiritual, when it comes to other people. Now don’t get me wrong, I love prayer. You can walk up to me on the street and ask to pray and we will pray right then and there. However, it seems like we are only that spiritual when it comes to everyone else, because when it comes to OUR needs, and OUR wants, we pray, and then we put actions behind them. We pray for God to provide, and then we trust that part of His provision is that 40 hours a week we spend in a cubicle. We pray for health, and then we go to the gym. We pray for nourishment, and then we go cook a meal. We pray, and then we act. But, why do we seem to just stop at prayer for everyone else? Why don’t we add that kind of follow-through when it’s someone else's needs and not just when it’s our own? And what might happen if we did? I’ve heard it said to pray as if it all depends on God, and live as if it all depends on you. That sounds very good and very motivational, but I don’t like it. If I’m living as if it all depends on me, to me, that seems like I don’t have much faith in those prayers. How about, instead, “Pray as if it all depends on you, then live as if God intends to use you and your actions as part of the fulfillment of those prayers.” I like the sound of that. 

In closing, I would like to share a quote with you by the author Brant Hansen that has meant a lot to me, and I hope it means a lot to you, too. “If you don't do something, don't just assume it will get done. Your life is deeply meaningful, one way or another. Your efforts matter. Your work matters… If someone needs encouragement and you don't provide it, it's quite possible they will not be encouraged. If someone needs their existence acknowledged and you are in a position to do that but take a pass, it's possible no one will acknowledge it. Yes, God wants it done, and yes, He has the power to do it. That's why He put you there.”

Typically, this is where I ask you to share this devotional with someone you know so that this mailing list will grow, but today, I’d like to do something else. My dear friends Michael and Jordan Torres (And their adorable little boy Leo, who has unfortunately set the bar of “Cutest Kid” tremendously high amongst our friends) have been on a turbulent medical journey over the last year, and earlier this month, Jordan was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. This is an incredibly serious situation,and I would like to ask that anyone who reads this take a moment to pray for them. They didn’t ask me to do this, and in fact, they don’t even know about this. (Hi friends!) Additionally, a meal train has been set up to support them financially as they navigate all of the struggles that come with such a life-changing diagnosis. If you feel so led, you can read more about their story and donate by clicking the button below. 

Click Here!