Demonstrating Love

Has the Lord ever asked you to do something difficult? Watchman Nee in one of his teachings told a story about a Chinese Xian man who owned a rice paddy next to his. The Xian man irrigated his fields by pumping water out of a canal. Every day, after the Xian had pumped enough water to fill his paddy, the Communist man would come out, remove the boards that kept the water in his neighbor’s paddy, and allow the water to drain into his paddy so he wouldn’t have to pump the water. This continued for some time, until the Xian was just fed up with it. He prayed, “Lord, if this keeps up I’m going to lose all my rice, maybe even my field. What can I do?” The Lord responded by putting a thought in his mind. The next morning the Xian man got up early and started pumping water into his neighbor’s field first. Then he replaced the boards and pumped water into his own rice paddy. This resulted in both rice paddies becoming productive and the Communist man was moved by his neighbor’s loving action. The two men became friends and eventually the Communist man became a follower of Jesus. It comes as no surprise that God often asks us to do things we consider strange in order to develop character in us and to impact the lives of others. Such a request might involve praying for an enemy, mowing the lawn of a hateful neighbor; volunteering to fill in for the mean-spirited co-worker who drives you nuts; or being helpful and kind to an ex-spouse or estranged family member. It’s amazing but when God’s will involves development He often chooses a teacher that is diametrically opposite of us.  He may place you beside a co-worker considered to be the most distrusting person in the department, or a cantankerous neighbor. Your quiet neighborhood may become the next project in the city’s reconstruct the street initiative. Or even worse, the building you work in may be invaded by those nasty jack-hammers creating noise that goes right to the bone. Whatever the circumstance, once the project is completed you are a much better person because of it. In any event, no assignment is without its challenges but greater still its opportunities. God gives us the right situation in which to demonstrate His love.