Day 14 of 50

READING GUIDE:

• Read today's devotion below.
• During days 8-14 (at your own pace) read chapters 3 thru 6 from Joining Jesus on His Mission.
• After days 8-14, meet with your small group and follow the back-of-the-book discussion guide for SESSION 2.

"If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them...But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin." (Luke 6:32, 35 ESV)

Ever been on the receiving end of someone else's agenda? When you didn't comply as he or she hoped you would, did you experience the person exiting the "friendship" you two were forming and move on to another prospect. How did that feel? I'm guessing we all have experienced this in one way or another.

The tougher question is--ever been the one with the agenda? Really think about that one for a minute.

Even as followers of Christ, with the most noble of intentions, we can cast agendas to our neighbors, co-workers, and teammates. If these folks don't comply to a profession of faith in Jesus according to our certain timetable, we may just raise up our hands and say, "I'm done! I'm moving on to the next candidate." That is the easy way--not Jesus' way, not the way of His grace (grace defined as "undeserved love"). The easy way is to love people who comply with love and the responses we hope for. Jesus' way is to love people no matter reciprocity.

Finke shares in chapter six, "If we love with an agenda, our love is untrustworthy because it is really bait...If, after a time, they don't comply with our agenda, we will withdraw our love. 'It didn't work,' we think to ourselves. But that's not the way Jesus loves. He loves because every person needs love whether they receive it or not. 1 John 4:19 says it plainly, "We love because he first loved us," not because people have earned our love by conforming to our agenda."

How is God convicting you to imitate Jesus with agenda-less friendships as you join Him on His mission?