Lifeboat

Which person are you in the lifeboat? Wait, you didn't know you you part of the lifeboat? Maybe I should say, which person are you more important than? Now I know that doesn't sound right, but that is what happens almost every day. We make judgements on who is important, based on such important things as how well they can jump and put a ball through a hoop or how they look or how much money they have or if their opinion on politics line up with ours. We make snap decisions of how valuable someone is based on truly stupid things. We want to be on the lifeboat so we are willing to throw someone else over in order for us to secure our place. Ever think something like this - at least I'm not as bad as______ (fill in the blank with the gossip, the adulterer, the person who looks different, the person who does really bad things, whatever), then you have bought into the lifeboat mentality. For me to be safe and accepted, then someone has to go overboard. Someone less important. Someone not as lovable and accepted as me. Someone who doesn't bring as much to the table as I do. Sounds pretty egotistical doesn't it? But isn't that what we do more often than not. We want to judge who gets in and establish who is important. So how does that reconcile with our call to love one another? Hard to say that I truly love someone when I am keeping a tally sheet of who ranks as worthy enough.

Boil it down to the bottom line and I know that I am not worthy enough. God loves me not because of who I am, but because of who He is. I deserve to be the one thrown overboard, but somehow there is enough room for me. See He doesn't operate on the lifeboat mentality. There aren't 3 easy steps to follow to be in. There aren't 4 qualities I have to have to be lovable enough. He loves me exactly where I am at. Take a moment and really wrap your mind around that thought. No social ladder to climb, to club to join by knowing the right buzz words, no getting in because I can do something that someone else can't...I am loved, period. Now that is what we are suppose to demonstrate when we love one another. So how are you doing? Are you willing to give up your lifeboat?