You can give without loving…

Friend: Life is so sick!!
Me: Eiii… why suddenly wan?
Friend: Just very sick with my life.
Me: Erm… care to share the details?
Friend: Everyday we live for some purpose. When that purpose’s gone, there’s nothing left.
Me: Purpose driven life… heard of that? What’s the lost purpose?
Friend: Well, very hard to find a purpose to live for… ahahhahaha…

Twas indeed bitter laughter.

This conversation began this morning at around 12+ a.m. Was getting ready for bed when I received such a MSN message from this Buddhist friend whom I’ve befriended whilst being here in China. After working non-stop for 6 whole days, I was DEAD tired and the last thing I needed was a long conversation into the wee hours of a Sunday morning. However, after the intense prayer time for the nation of China just about 2 hours ago, how could I ignore such a plea for help just to get some zzzzsssss…???

Had a fruitful time of sharing, woke up around 10am just in time for City Harvest 10am Live Webcast. Matthew 8:1-3 – A man with leprosy cam and knelt before him and said, “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing”, he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

As I pondered the night before on how to reach the lost in China, this verse spoke to me. Jesus’s way of evangelism was never a hard-selling technique. His method was always by meeting needs. The verses spoke about a leper – like someone who has HIV in our age. He had a terminal, incurable disease; was disfigured, unloved, feared and dismissed by society. What was the first thing that Jesus did? Not preach a sermon… neither did he condemn by saying, “If you don’t accept me, you will go to hell!” He saw something deeper. He saw an emotional hurt within. Jesus reached out his hand and TOUCHED the leper.

You can give without loving. But you cannot love without giving.

We live in a time when we’re always busy. What is the best gift that we can give? The gift of TIME to fulfill the NEED of another. Not all are called to be the stage-front evangelists, but each of us is called to be a soul winners. This applies to our daily walk, as well as looking past the physical in China. If there is no avenue to preach openly, it’s how we live our life that’s going to get committed Christians. The key-word is committed Christians, and NOT converted Christians. People are not going to be convinced by attending a service, listening to a sermon; but by reading our lives.

Though I avail myself for His Will daily, I hope I don’t get another 12+am conversation tonight. Make it a little earlier, Papa? Amen ;)