anyone stops to do something kind, it takes
them by surprise.
Even giving a cold cup of water in His name
holds tremendous value. Or switching seats
on an airplane.
Have you ever been on an airplane where
a couple has been split up and wants to
exchange seats with another passenger so
they can sit together? Sometimes it turns into
quite an ordeal if too many people refuse to
give up their precious seat. Is the reward of
having your particular seat greater than the
reward of making someone else happy? No,
but temporary convenience and the prevailing
need for self-preservation seem to win too
often.
People always ask how is it that I have been
able to stay at the same church in a tough
neighborhood for 25 years. More times than
I can count, this ministry should have died
from lack of funds, inability to make fire code
requirements and the constant need for last-
minute miracles. The secret has truly been
to learn how to live outside of myself. If I
internalize everything, my world will collapse
to a perspective based on my struggles and
my limited view of what is going on. If I view
only the bad things, I will shrink to match the
environment around me. However, if I choose
to give something away (especially something
that I would rather keep), it makes my world
bigger.
I remember my call, and I find joy in being
available and used by God.
This adapted excerpt was taken from One Small Step: The
Life-Changing Adventure of Following God’s Nudges by
Matthew Barnett. Copyright 2020 by Matthew Barnett.
Used by permission of Chosen Books, a division of Baker
Publishing Group.
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Matthew Barnett is senior pastor of the historic Angelus Temple and
the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California, now one of over 150 Dream
Centers around the world. A congregation over 7,000 now attends weekly,
and the Dream Center reaches more than 30,000 people weekly with its
needs-based ministries and outreaches. Matthew and his wife, Caroline,
have a daughter and a son, and they make their home in the Los Angeles
area.
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