No One is Beyond Redemption
Two weeks ago I was traveling to Bangor to catch my first flight on my journey to Portugal. As we drove down the familiar highway road toward my summer adventure, I kept having this thought run through my mind:
No one is beyond redemption.
What a revolutionary idea! What a statement! Not the drug addict who is dependent on substances for fulfillment, not the businessman who has been a faithful Christian for his whole life, not the person who others see as being so far gone that God wouldn't even want a relationship with them; not one single person is beyond redemption in Christ.
I think this incredible truth is the reason why I believe that what I believe is really real. I think this is the reason why I'm so passionate about what I do: because I make the choice everyday with those I cross paths with to see the intrinsic, immeasurable worth they have. I make the choice to refuse to see in people what I only hear others say about them as truth (that's another post for another day). I always strive to see the good in people and try to make it known to others no matter what; this can be a positive or a negative to my personality but I'll leave that to you to decide :)
But I think this is all because God saw it in me first.
He saw the cynical pastor's kid full of pride and selfishness as valuable. He saw the struggling college student full of doubt and uncertainty as valuable. And even now he sees the twenty-something girl fighting feelings of failure and loneliness in one of the most awkward stages of her life as valuable. And he sees you too:
The weird thing about this whole thought is that it came as a conversation I imagined myself having with Harry Styles of the band One Direction (go with me for a minute; I don't understand my mind 100% of the time either...). The trip to the airport was a quiet one. I didn't have headphones in and my dad had some radio program on that I wasn't really listening to and I felt like I was in my own world as one of their songs was playing in my head. All I could think about were the labels people have put on him over the years about being a womanizer and whatever else the media could possibly dream up. I thought about the things that anyone has said about him simply because he's not their favorite person. Yes, I've listened to the songs he's written and co-written that have catapulted the band to stardom, and I admire his talent. Yes, I've read about him in articles and I've watched interviews he's given, and no I don't think what the media has to say about him is true.
As weird as this is probably sounding, if I ever had the chance to actually have this conversation with him what would I say? Would I take all these things I've heard and pick him apart as if I know for a fact it's what he's really like even though I've only heard about him? Would I criticize him and shame him for the "wrong" things he's done in his 23 years and act as another source of judgement for his actions?
Or if a conversation was to actually take place between the two of us, would I seize the opportunity in front of me to help him see the incredible purpose his life has as a creation of God? Would I have the courage to look into his eyes and tell him of the value that is placed on his life because he is a creation of God? Would I help him to see that he isn't too far gone to be redeemed because of the price Jesus paid for his life? Would I hold to the convictions I have that nothing in life is wasted and no one is beyond redemption, not even Harry Styles of One Direction? Would I choose to not see him through the lens of what I've heard about him, but instead choose to see him as God does (2 Corinthians 5:16-19)? Would I not only do this for him, but also for someone else, anyone else?
Would you?
What a revolutionary idea! What a statement! Not the drug addict who is dependent on substances for fulfillment, not the businessman who has been a faithful Christian for his whole life, not the person who others see as being so far gone that God wouldn't even want a relationship with them; not one single person is beyond redemption in Christ.
I think this incredible truth is the reason why I believe that what I believe is really real. I think this is the reason why I'm so passionate about what I do: because I make the choice everyday with those I cross paths with to see the intrinsic, immeasurable worth they have. I make the choice to refuse to see in people what I only hear others say about them as truth (that's another post for another day). I always strive to see the good in people and try to make it known to others no matter what; this can be a positive or a negative to my personality but I'll leave that to you to decide :)
But I think this is all because God saw it in me first.
He saw the cynical pastor's kid full of pride and selfishness as valuable. He saw the struggling college student full of doubt and uncertainty as valuable. And even now he sees the twenty-something girl fighting feelings of failure and loneliness in one of the most awkward stages of her life as valuable. And he sees you too:
- The single mom struggling to get by
- The person searching for the "something more" in life
- The cynical business person caring more about earthly possessions rather than people
- The politician who cares more about votes than integrity
- The pastor who feels like a failure to their congregation, but refuses to give up despite criticism
He sees you, and you are not beyond redemption. For what other purpose do we have to live for if it were not for this truth? Paul even said himself that if Christ isn't resurrected as we claim him to be, then we've wasted our whole lives on nothing. But because Christ did those things our lives haven't been wasted! He has called us to live our lives as he lived: for the sake of the mission of building his kingdom here on earth. This mission gives a sense of value and purpose to our lives, to everyone's life, because we all have a part to play in it. I know it does for me because I honestly believe this truth that no one is beyond redemption and nothing in life is wasted.
The weird thing about this whole thought is that it came as a conversation I imagined myself having with Harry Styles of the band One Direction (go with me for a minute; I don't understand my mind 100% of the time either...). The trip to the airport was a quiet one. I didn't have headphones in and my dad had some radio program on that I wasn't really listening to and I felt like I was in my own world as one of their songs was playing in my head. All I could think about were the labels people have put on him over the years about being a womanizer and whatever else the media could possibly dream up. I thought about the things that anyone has said about him simply because he's not their favorite person. Yes, I've listened to the songs he's written and co-written that have catapulted the band to stardom, and I admire his talent. Yes, I've read about him in articles and I've watched interviews he's given, and no I don't think what the media has to say about him is true.
As weird as this is probably sounding, if I ever had the chance to actually have this conversation with him what would I say? Would I take all these things I've heard and pick him apart as if I know for a fact it's what he's really like even though I've only heard about him? Would I criticize him and shame him for the "wrong" things he's done in his 23 years and act as another source of judgement for his actions?
Or if a conversation was to actually take place between the two of us, would I seize the opportunity in front of me to help him see the incredible purpose his life has as a creation of God? Would I have the courage to look into his eyes and tell him of the value that is placed on his life because he is a creation of God? Would I help him to see that he isn't too far gone to be redeemed because of the price Jesus paid for his life? Would I hold to the convictions I have that nothing in life is wasted and no one is beyond redemption, not even Harry Styles of One Direction? Would I choose to not see him through the lens of what I've heard about him, but instead choose to see him as God does (2 Corinthians 5:16-19)? Would I not only do this for him, but also for someone else, anyone else?
Would you?
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