boyradd

From a Stage in the Dark

Luke 7: 38-50

A few days ago I was looking through all of my Twitter followers and came across one that really piqued my interest.  A woman had on her profile “from a stage in the dark….”  She runs Unconditional Love Ministries, a ministry that works with women in sexually oriented businesses to come to Christ.

Now I am wondering.

How many other stories are out there that people just don’t know?  All who are Christians have a ministry calling.  Some are simply understood, such as children’s ministry, women’s ministry, prison ministry, etc….  Others are harder to come by and can actually cause a lot of people to cringe.

I must admit, when I am walking down the street and see the strip club on the corner my first thought is not about evangelizing.  My first thought is not about what Christ would do.  My first thought isn’t even, if I have to be honest, a pure one all the time.

More often than not, my first thought is one of judgment.

Now my mind is racing.

Did Jesus ever in His ministry show a lack of love to any cultural people group?  Did He ever exclude anyone from loving Him?

NO!

The God I serve cleansed a thief on the cross just prior to his death!  The God I serve allowed the harlot to wipe His feet with her hair, a symbol of sexual intimacy.  The God I serve was single, broke, homeless, and spent time with lepers, harlots, and sinners.  The God I serve came to show me how to love.

It is tough to love unconditionally someone when we know they are fighting with sin.  But we fight against Satan daily.  If we simply hold out, in Christ’s name, we will be victorious and able to resist the devil.

James 4:7 – “resist the devil and he must flee.”

I think back on those women in the sex trade and how is my life any different from theirs?  I don’t always have the purest mind so I can’t claim that I am any better in that way than them.  I sin in other ways that maybe they do not.

Ultimately, and at the end of the day, it is about whether we have Jesus in our life that will give us solidarity.  Our walk with Christ brings each and every one of us closer to Him, which, in turn, brings us closer to each other.

So whether you are a stripper, a hooker, a grocer, a social media guru, a pastor, an elder, or simply someone who is standing on the street not really knowing where you belong, Christ is calling your name.  He wants to bring you closer to Him from wherever you are in your life walk.

You don’t have to change in order to come to Christ.  But once you come to Christ, you will WANT to change because of your love for Him.  This is not legalism.  There are no requirements for changing your behavior to know Christ.  But once you know Him, there is no way you can stay the same anymore because of your love for Him.

It is the greatest feeling ever to be unconditionally loved by Someone.

I’d love to hear where you are in your walk.  If you would, please drop me an email at frednoble11@comcast.net.

Amen.