It can be a frightening prospect to consider the fact that God has chosen each of us to be His representative in the world. It can be intimidating to know that we are supposed to be the image of God to others. We are challenged with this task. By showing love to everyone we meet we are going into territories – not just physical lands, but spiritual and emotional realms – that are strange and worrisome.
But we should go forward with confidence. Not only has God chosen us to do this work, He will be with us when we go out. The psalmist calls on the Lord for help in Psalm 71. From whom does he want to be saved? What confidence does he have in God?
By showing love to other people we become vulnerable. We open ourselves up to rejection and criticism. We may fear that we will be humiliated and embarrassed. We may also be doing something new, something we have not done before. Sharing love may bring us discomfort.
But we can put all of our fears aside because we know what we are doing is the will of God. We can hand all of our worries and hesitations to God. He will deliver us, protect us, bring us through the challenges when we are faced with people who will want to reject us and criticize us.
We can abandon all the self-doubt we have by trusting that God will give us ability. We may think we have no skill at sharing love the way we should. We may think we are not capable of being the people god wants us to be.
But the Lord is our hope. He is the One who can bring us the confidence we need to go out into the world and truly care for others.
When we feel we are not ready to share love we must call on God. He will give us the tools and the words and the thoughts we need to show love to others. He will guide us in our actions if we will simply rely on Him.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you that God is always with you?
