When I was in the business world, one of the questions we would often ask was, “Why is it that we cannot afford to do something right the first time, but we always find time to do it right the second time (i.e., rework) to meet our customer’s order?”
I am amazed at how we, as a society, have consented to poor quality, poor service, and poor reliability in everything from fast food to the practice of medicine. To bolster my claim, within the last month we waited in line for more than thirty minutes in a fast food drive-thru with only a couple of cars in front of us, and we presented our extensive list of medications, with prices, to our pharmacy and explained to them that within eyesight of their store we could buy the same medications for at least 60% less.
Now, I know this sounds like a rant. Here’s the devotional: Recently, we drove through a fast food drive-thru, and the transaction was so pleasant that my wife told the manager she felt like she was in a commercial. The service, quality, and friendliness stood in stark contrast to other transactions, and this is where our walk with Jesus comes in.
Living in a sea of low standards and disappointments provides followers of Jesus with endless opportunities to let Jesus shine in this messed-up world. If we focus on the bad stuff, then we join with the world in amplifying disappointment. However, when we remember what Jesus said, as recounted in John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
Every day we have so many opportunities to share, show, and sing the Good News of Jesus. I believe we have more opportunities now than there have been for one hundred years or more.
Now is not the time to hide our light but to let it shine wherever we go. People are desperate for the refreshing that only comes from being reborn. Who are we that we should withhold the Living Water, to anyone?
Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash