God’s love is not choosy

Using a devotional guide for my quiet time forces me to think in ways I might otherwise avoid. Today’s simple verse did just that. It is Paul writing, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise” (Romans 1:14).

The Greeks were cultured and refined; the barbarians rough and uncivilized. However, Paul didn’t make a distinction between them. God had done so much for him that he felt obliged to take the Gospel to everyone, no matter their so-called value as people or their status in the eyes of the world.

The author of Truth for Today illustrates by asking what a person should do if they saw a house on fire with a family inside and unaware of their dire situation. Would anyone stand on the curb and wonder if they’re worth saving? Not likely. If I know someone is in need and I have the information that can save them, I am obligated to do so.

I could argue that not everyone is so obviously needy, either to me or to themselves. Many appear to have their lives in order, while others are certain they know it all, even when they don’t. Some people are more interesting to talk to; some are more interested in what I might say. Many with spiritual needs think that they are just fine as is, so are not interested in the information that can save them. Aside from those realities, and to be totally honest, there are a few people that I find obnoxious and would rather not share anything with them.

This short statement by Paul convicts me about all this. He was obligated by his debt to God and did not make distinctions concerning who was worthy or not or even who was interested or not. He didn’t have the prejudices that he had grown up with (Jews hated Gentiles), but instead allowed the love of God to motivate him. He ministered to everyone.

The author of my devotional is a preacher who studies hours each day in preparation for information-packed Sunday messages. He says that sometimes the Scripture passages are so exhilarating that he can hardly wait to get to Sunday, but other times he battles priorities that crowd his study time, and his ministry doesn’t seem so exciting. He must fight his way through those times because “I know I have a debt to God.”

Instead of avoiding or turning away from those that I would rather not talk to, I need to be motivated by that same debt. I might not feel like it, but caring about others isn’t about me. How selfish and narrow-minded to think that I can pick and choose. I’ve not learned anything about love and being a servant of the Lord if I do that. If I cannot “feel like it” as I should, the least I can do is remember that I am in debt to God for all that He has done for me. Even though I cannot ever actually pay off that debt, the least I can do is love others the way that He loves me.