I had just reduced my pace from a fast half-mile interval to my cool-down pace and was nearly home when I saw it. A small piece of trash on the side of the street flashed in my peripheral vision as I deliberately looked back to my route, purposely ignoring the debris that littered my neighborhood. Something deep inside me knew that although I certainly couldn’t be responsible for picking up every piece of trash I see, it was wrong for me keep passing by opportunities to take pride in my neighborhood.
As I raced on, catching my breath, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me. “The same part of you that sees trash on the street and doesn’t pick it up is the same part of you that passes by the broken and lost who are in need of an encounter with Me.”
Ouch, right? But He wasn’t condescending; He was, and is, tremendously gentle; always patient. But Jesus knows what He is talking about. His comment cut me to the heart. How many times have I passed by the lowly one on the street corner, gently pushing down the grace that is rising up from my spirit? More times than I care to admit, really.
The impression I get now is more gentle and sweet than it used to be. Years ago, I would feel a more direct–almost pounding in my chest–reminder to step out boldly and love another person on the streets or at the coffee shop with the love and power of God. After walking with God for many years, however, that feeling is less pronounced–but it goes down deeper. I feel like my love has a depth to it that puts my early days of street evangelism to shame. Like Paul, I am deeply compelled by the unconditional, life-changing love of the Father in me.
2 Corinthians 5:14 AMPC
For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died;
The love of Christ is a burning fire, consuming all of my spirit. His desires have become my desires. My heart aches for what His heart aches after. I know I haven’t lost the fire. I know I haven’t lost contact with His heart. I am more on fire for Jesus and for sharing His power and love with a lost and broken world than ever before. But the love of Christ is not static–it is ever moving; ever seeking to find a place for expression among the lost and the lowly. The love of Christ truly compels us to act! How many times, friend, have you passed by someone when the love in your spirit was compelling you?
A friend of mine shared this exact revelation with me several years ago. He shared how God spoke essentially the same thing to him as he deliberately ignored some trash on the street as he was driving home. My friend pulled the car over, jumped out, and picked up the trash. He was sensitive enough to the subtle impulses of God’s heart that he acted on what the Holy Spirit was doing. The Lord was training him to stop for the lowly. To learn how to “pick up the trash,” when it wasn’t always in his schedule to do so.
My encouragement to you today is this: learn how to stop and pick up the trash. After a while, you will find it much easier to stop and pick up the lost and the lowly people who are all around you, just lying there, waiting to be loved.
After that, I picked up every piece of trash I saw, all the way home.