At my first job out of college, I worked for a Weight Management systems. I would receive a list, long list of people to cold call from ads on tv to people who had been on the system to I don’t know what. i realized I have no trouble speaking with people I didn’t know. Fast forward to my job now, I call patients to make appointments, confirm appointments, answer questions..
There are some days where these phone calls are my dread, but most of the time, I love interacting with people. I love the sound of their voice when they talk to a real human and not an android, metallic voice.
The difference between the two scenarios just listed is my understanding behind these calls. At the weight mgmt place, I always felt like a bother. I realized after working here for over a year, it was a revolving door. People lost weight. Gained. Came back in. Lost. This wasn’t a system, IMHO, that was teaching or guiding. The diet was intrinsically flawed.
I realize now, that when I place my work at the feet of Jesus, my whole perspective changes. Yes, this is my job, and yes, I have a difficult co-worker, but the Lord is teaching me. And I pray, he is using me for his glory. This was a lot of prep for the question I’m looking at today from Jesus.
This is the third warning Jesus gives his listeners after wrapping up the Beatitudes. Remember this chapter began with “do not judge…”
““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord! ’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? ’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’”
Matthew 7:21-23 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/mat.7.21-23.HCSB
I read this and man, I want to run away from trying to even untangle this. I go back to the full passage of Matthew 7, I have to. These are heart issues that Jesus is addressing. How we view and judge others. How we view and judge God (ask, search, knock). How we find and hold onto the truth. How we actively can discover the hearts of people. (Good vs bad fruit) And now, Jesus is dealing with “done in His name.”It all comes back to the heart.
Which is why I gave the example i did. My heart didn’t really invest in these people who were trying to lose weight. I was there to pay my bills. My heart now is different. I see, as you know, I do have bad days at this, that my interactions with people can brighten their day and mine. Maybe i can be a witness to the kindness of Christ.
It’s his kindness that leads us to repentance. This is a tough passage that needs the verses around it to make it understandable. Also, asking the Lord to guide and direct when we come to difficult parts. Check me on this, but I believe the Lord is after the state of our heart here.
Leave A Reply