Love Does... Part One

For my Transfer Seminar Class we are reading Love Does by Bob Goff. After each section we have to write a reflection. So I figured I would post it on here! So far I absolutely LOVE this book. 

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.” [1 Corinthians 13:1-7, The Message]

I was driving home and the song The Proof of Your Love by King and Country came on the radio and all I could think about was the first 10 chapters of  Love Does by Bob Goff. I do not usually read out of The Message but I really like the above lyrics. The song goes on to talk about how we should live our lives as proof of Christ love for us and for every just as Goff does in his book. My first reaction to the chapters was wow. This guy is probably the most selfless person I have ever heard of. Several of his stories stuck out to me and the messages he had behind them and how they point to Jesus. 

“I am with you.” those are the words that Goff’s young life leader Randy told him when Goff showed up to his house and told Randy he was dropping out of school to work and rock climb in Yosemite. A little back ground, Randy had just go married when Bob showed up at his doorstep. Randy left his new bride to be with a lost and troubled kid. Do you know why? Because Randy understood that his wife would be there when he go back, his life would be there. He understood the importance of being there for people. Literally being present in people’s life. It is easy to tell someone “hey call me if you need anything” rather then showing up. Randy could have tried to talk Bob out it and probably could have but he know that Bob needed someone to prove to him Christ love. I think as Americans we value our time. Our time is the most important thing other then money and so when we give of our time it shows people we care. Many times Jesus was trying to get some peace and quiet but the crowds followed Him so he gave to them what they sought. Our youth deserve our undivided attention. We need to show them Christ love!

“Wedding Cake”  This chapter taught me something a little different then maybe Goff intended. You see, I am a planner. Everything has to go to plan. Most days I have my life planned from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. So to read a story of a wedding cake tumbling to the ground and having to scrap it up and serve it to the guest anyways made me cringe.  If that would have happened on my wedding day I might have lost it. But Goff talks about how Christ uses even the broken crusty parts of us for His glory to show His love. But God spoke to me a little differently. Sometimes situations arise that ruin my plans because someone needs me or just needs someone to be there for them. I get angry or irritated because it ruins my plans. God just spoke to me and said “Sometimes you need to let go of your life and do what needs to be done for others.” Because well Love Does! 

“Just Say Yes” Say Yes to what God has in store for you. He ends up in a situation that he thought was a joke so Goff said yes thinking it wasn’t real. It was. What this chapter lead me to think more about was sometimes we are waiting on God and praying about things and we just need to do it! I am not down playing prayer by any means! I think that God gives us choices and will use us in the chose we make. For example I could have chose to go to an online college and God could have used me in that situation just as he will use me in at Whitworth. We just need to say yes to love others and God. If we do these things I believe we can do what He has in store for us!

I am excited to finish my reading of Love Does. For my New Testament class we are going through the New Testament (are you shocked?) and I am going through the Gospels and finding points where LOVE DOES. Where Jesus does things out of love. I hope to have many verses and points by the time I am done with the book and the gospels. I can not wait to share what I have learned.