Living the Gospel

I was sitting in the audience of a mega-church listening to my son-in-law preach. It’s kind of an odd feeling knowing him well, watching him live his life (off the stage), and loving him like a son. And being pierced with the truths of God’s Word as my heart and brain configure the learning and the message God is placing in my soul.

Sometimes we forget that the godly men and women God uses to help us live out our Christian faith are, in the end, just people—just like you and me. Their kids are, well, just kids, and they are humans, well, just like us. I watched my daughter leave the service to retrieve her sometimes fickle-about-church little six-year-old and return with said six-year-old. To my delight of course, because Grandma got to enjoy said six-year-old and hear her adorable comments about “big church” and dad. (It’s a good mom who takes an active role in their child’s life and is willing to sacrifice time and energy for the well-being of their child. I’ve seen my daughter do this time and time again.)

But then there are those who fall while in the limelight. Oh, we’ve seen it this past year, and it’s so very sad. When our private life and our public life don’t align its trouble for all of us. We portray a certain image but deep down we know we are just faking. It’s a tough life to live. It hurts God’s heart and it hurts our heart. Instead of measuring another’s failures, perhaps we can look to ourselves and see where our private life and our public life don’t align.

Like, treating people at church better than we do our spouse.

Like, serving in kids ministry with gobs of patience, but then have none for our own kids.

Like, being generous just to get the attention and accolades of others watching.

Like, ignoring God’s prompting to help another because we are too busy.

Like, prioritizing feeling of importance over serving others.

Like, basking in the attention we get from accomplishments, but not opening up and being vulnerable with those we love most dear.

Like getting our worth from what we do rather than how well we love.

As I was sitting in the audience while my son-in-law preached there was one thing I knew that most others did not. The one thing I knew was that he had been up late the night before. Very late. Knowing he had to preach he still made the decision to be up late. Not to watch a movie, not to go out for the evening, not to play games, no, not for something “fun.” Usually when he preaches he retires early to be ready for the next day, but not this time.

What I knew was that Kyle had been in the hospital helping extended family the night before.

The thing that impressed me so much was that he could have easily opened his sermon with, Hey, church family, I’m a bit tired this morning because I was at the hospital last night helping… But he didn’t, nobody knew. He told no one. Only I knew, and his family knew. Your family knows who you are when no one else is looking. It would have been easy for him to start off with a humble brag about how he was a hero the night before, but he didn’t. He just preached God’s Word. And he did it well.

What good are the gifts and talents God gives us if we are not first exercising them with our loved ones? What good are our gifts and talents if we are not loving our family well?

When I watch my son-in-law preach I’m not only proud of his giftedness I’m even more proud of how he loves his family.

God is more interested in how we love others than how we make ourselves matter.

“And to love Him [God] with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” -Mark 12:33

For more from Lucille Williams check out her books The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace, and for your marriage, From Me to We, and The Intimacy You Crave. And Turtle Finds His Talent for ages 2-6. We invite you to subscribe to LuSays today for regular encouragement.