Our Bible verse for today: “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “The love of God is powerful”
Those of you who have read my book “Getting Along without Going Along: Biblical Sexual Ethics in an Age of Controversy and Conflict”, you are familiar with the story of Rosaria Butterfield. Rosaria was a liberal college professor and by her own definition, a radical lesbian feminist. She didn’t just agree with and support the Gay and Lesbian agenda, she was one of the national leaders of the movement.
At one point she met a pastor and his wife who were friendly and kind, and who simply wanted to discuss issues of sexual ethics with her over coffee. She reluctantly agreed to talk to them. Rosaria was quickly impressed with their kind, gentle, and respectful manner. Soon she found herself liking them. She developed a friendship with the couple and ended up meeting with them multiple times as they spent hours discussing their very different perspectives regarding matters of sexuality.
Long story short, over time Rosaria was captured by the love of Christ at work through the pastor and his wife, and she became a Christian. At first, she was committed to simply being a gay but celibate follower of Jesus. But to her amazement she soon discovered that God was changing her sexual desires. She found that her attraction to other females was fading and she actually met a man she was attracted to. In time she married that man and had his children. That man also happened to be a pastor, which means of course that Rosaria was then a pastor’s wife. She went from being a radical leftist lesbian to being a wife and mother, and she has now spent decades in ministry with her husband. You can read her story in her book “The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert”.
It was the love of God at work through that pastor and his wife that broke through to Rosaria and changed her heart and her life. That’s because the love of God is such a powerful thing. When channeled to others through the life of a faithful follower of Christ, there’s no limit to the impact it can have. That’s what Paul was describing to his young protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7. As a follower of Christ there’s no need to ever be timid or fearful. You have the Holy Spirit within you. He is imparting to you the powerful love of God, as well as the sound judgment needed to direct that love in a way that will have the greatest impact.
I encourage you to be a conduit for the love of God to flow to others. Be intentional about it. Love people on purpose. Let God work not just in you, but through you, as He brings His love to bear on the people you encounter today.
Oak Hill Baptist Church