When Nothing Is Everything

Luke 10:1-12

Take nothing with you... no purse, no bag, no sandals...and greet no one on the road.


This scripture encourages us to move out into the world, but not with a big bunch of freebies to offer or a video of how we can change your life.  This scripture says to go into every town where God intends to go.... and to take absolutely nothing with you, not even your purse or shoes.  And for those of us with more purses and shoes than we can imagine knowing what to do with, this IS perplexing information. Wow.  We are to take nothing with us.

It reminds me, though, of when we see the Spirit most clearly.  Think of the days after a natural disaster like the tornadoes in Oklahoma.  In the midst of people losing everything they have, we see the Spirit at work, people entering the scene to help with rescue efforts, neighbor helping neighbor pull people and pets and fragments of their life out of the disaster-torn areas they once called home. There is a sense of community connection and grace and hope that one rarely sees in our day-to-day lives filled with more than we can ever hope to enjoy.

This is not to say that we wish for natural disasters to shake us into our senses of what matters. Of course not. It is just the most blaring representation that what we really need from one another, or need to offer one another, is not a 'thing' but ourselves.

So, I don't know about you, but it tells me a lot about how we really connect with people. We don't need slick programming or a cool hip pastor or a blaring sound system or a million different activities to connect with our neighbors.

What people really want is the hand reaching out to grab them when they find their lives in rubble. Or the smile greeting them as they try to make the most of a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Or a purpose for being in and among the people of God.

Take no bag, no purse, no sandals.  Take yourself to the world.  Offer your ear, your hand, your feet. And realize THAT is all God intends for you to take in order to spread God's love.

How do you show God's love in your day-to-day life? How has it been shown to you?  Email me or comment below.