Susanne Maynes

Honoring God's Image-Bearers

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Why I don’t do random acts of kindness (and what I do instead)

September 29, 2020 by Susanne Maynes 4 Comments

The man sat cross-legged on the sidewalk next to the gas station, a small backpack by his side. He evidently hadn’t had access to a shower in a while.

A woman with three boys walked past him.

“If you’re looking for the restrooms,” said the man, pointing, “they’re over there.”

The woman thanked him and hurried off, nervous about interacting with a homeless stranger. As she and her kids walked back toward their car, she heard a familiar, still, small voice.

“I want you to go talk to that man.”

For a moment, she balked, but quickly realized arguing with God is never a great idea. So she asked, “Lord, will you at least tell me what I am talking to him about?”

“Tell him I know he is a seeker, but I am seeking him.”

The woman instructed her kids to stay in the car, took a deep breath, and went back to the man.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said. “I believe God wants me to tell you something.”

The man looked at her attentively. She continued, “God knows you are looking really hard for something, but He is looking even harder for you.”

The man burst into tears. He pulled out a small, wrapped package and a single rose from his backpack.

“I’m looking for my daughter,” he said. “She turns seven today. I’ve been in jail and my brother stole away my wife and kids. I’m trying to get to my mom’s so she can help me find them.”

The woman learned more of the man’s story—he had attended church for a while, but was lured back into addiction. Spiritually speaking, he was a lost sheep.

She began to pray for him. Her husband rounded the corner and joined them. They gave the man a brand-new Bible.

This man had sat at that gas station for two days without anyone speaking to him. Suddenly, instead of feeling rejection, he felt the deep love of God.

The woman in the story is me.

In John 3:8, speaking to the religious leader Nicodemus, Jesus said:

“The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit “blew” me to that particular gas station that day. He “blows” followers of Jesus to lots of places.

Ephesians 2:10 says,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

God strategically orchestrates divine acts of kindness—through us! He places us into situations and conversations in the middle of ordinary life.

All we have to do is follow his lead.

Maybe it’s that you overhear a man at the bank say he is depressed about his finances, and the Holy Spirit prompts you to give him the $50 in your pocket and tell him it’s from God.

Maybe you see a lady sitting in the park studying and you feel nudged to find out her story and then point her to a specific Bible verse which turns her tears to joy.

(True stories that happened to my husband and me.)

You know the bumper sticker that says “practice random acts of kindness?” Nothing wrong with that—but followers of Jesus do something far more powerful.

There’s nothing wrong with random acts of kindness–but followers of Christ do something far more powerful. #churchonmission #divinekindness

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We act as agents of God’s love by following the Holy Spirit’s prompts.

When we do, two things happen: we do what we were created to do, and others learn how much God cares about them.

So pay attention. You never know where the Spirit will “blow” you next.

 

 

Image by reneebigelow from Pixabay

 

 

 

5 Christian clichés we could probably live without

September 8, 2020 by Susanne Maynes Leave a Comment

5 Christian clichés we could probably live without

“Sarah” was confused. She hadn’t been in church circles very long, so when someone started talking about “pouring into” someone else, she couldn’t quite wrap her brain around what that meant. Sarah is far from alone. Many unchurched people, or new believers, find themselves having to learn a whole new set of terms once they start hanging out with Christians. Yup, we have our own subculture, including special lingo some refer to as “Christianese.” I define Christianese as terminology which Christians invent and repeat rather than as terms right out of the Bible. Terms like Continue Reading

Why certainty about your theology isn’t always a good thing

August 24, 2020 by Susanne Maynes Leave a Comment

Why certainty about your theology isn’t always a good thing

At first, it seemed like a bad case of the flu, but then his joints became painfully inflamed. The culprit was rheumatoid arthritis. People from church came over and prayed for him. He went to a big tent revival-style healing meeting and got prayer there, too. As time went on and my father was not healed of arthritis, the folks at church began to wonder what sin he must have committed to deserve such punishment. At that point, my mother remarked, “Our friends are like Job’s comforters!” God has given human beings the gift of a brilliant mind. He has also revealed a great deal Continue Reading

One helpful thing to remember when circumstances look serious

August 12, 2020 by Susanne Maynes Leave a Comment

One helpful thing to remember when circumstances look serious

The two figures in the kayak push away from the floating dock and commence paddling along the lake shore. Scott grins. “When Jed and Rebecca get back,” he says, “I’m going to ask them how their marriage enrichment exercise went.” Allow me to hit rewind to let you in on the joke. Years previous to this recent vacation with our son and daughter-in-law, Scott and I borrowed a canoe from friends and embarked on what shall forever be known as the Great Canoeing Disaster. If I recall correctly, I was seated in the front and Scott in the back. We had a little trouble syncing our Continue Reading

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