How many times have you had an opportunity to help someone, show love to someone with true Christ-like love, but it comes at a very inconvenient time?  Maybe a better question to ask would be, how many times have you had an opportunity to show true Christ-like love to someone and it comes at a convenient time?  If you are like me, this is a much harder example to come up with.  The reality is that most days we have an opportunity to show Christ’s love to people and it almost always comes at a time that is busy, hard, or at minimal inconvenient. 
 
My father-in-law pointed this out to me a couple of weeks ago.  He said “Christianity is not at all about convenience.  As a matter of fact, it is just the opposite.”  I have thought about this for several days, and I have to admit that once again my father-in-law is correct!  When he brought this up, he used a personal example to make his point. 
 
In 1967 Keith and Lillian Lauwers had an energetic, young family.  They had four kids and were living close to each of their families in western Canada.  Keith was a young pastor and had just accepted a lead pastor’s position in Anchorage, Alaska.  Can you imagine in the 1960’s flying up to Alaska in February with your wife and four young children?  When they arrived that February night, unfortunately none of their belongings had come.  Alaska is cold and dark during those months, and not having your belongings arrive when you expected could be seen as trying.  At least it is inconvenient.  I can just imagine Keith, or more surely Lillian expressing to the Lord “What are we doing?  God, are you sure?”  When things are challenging, it is common to ask the Lord if He is sure about this? 
 
The newest Alaskans were picked up at the airport by a family in the church and driven to the small three-bedroom parsonage they would call home.  Keith recalled, “driving in the dark, but seeing lights on in the house, was encouraging.  Then we walked into a warm domicile, beds made, towels laid out, food in the cupboards, and a freezer full of salmon and moose meat.”  The parishioners had taken care of them to make sure they were loved and provided for.  The Christ-like love lived out by their new church family was the assurance they needed that God was going to take care of them and they were where He wanted them to be!  Now 57 years later the Lauwers family has had the privilege themselves to share the love of Jesus to innumerable people throughout the state of Alaska. 
 
So, how many times does being a blessing to people come at a very challenging time?  Almost always!  We can count on the fact that sharing the love of Jesus will cost you something.  And it should!  Rather than holding onto Christ-like love, we should be excited to have the opportunity to share His life changing love with those He brings our way.  The fact that it is hectic or not the best timing really should not come in the way of our motivation to serve others when we are able. 
 
Christ Jesus left His heavenly dwelling and took the form of humankind.  We are told this in Philippians 2:5-7, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.”  Jesus then took on our sin and shame to reconcile us with God the Father, as we read in Hebrews 12:2, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus bore unconscionable shame, sin, and conquered death for our benefit.  If there is one thing that Jesus’ coming was not, it was not convenient! 
 
I need to be reminded of this truth regularly, for my default is to protect my “me” time and not to look for opportunities to love people the way Christ calls us to.  However Jesus is the perfect example that we are to be like.  Serving others is one way that God is refining us to be His people.  Somehow, we need to remember that “being a Christian is not at all about convenience.  As a matter of fact, it is just the opposite.”
 
Blessings,
Randy Karlberg