Charge

The service I attended this evening ended with a charge before the benediction. It was:

Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast to what is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honor all people;
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Notice that it is not prefaced with, "this is for those of you who are feeling completely emotionally put together and totally content with all areas of your life." Or "only if you are hearty, strong, and not afflicted."

I'm learning more and more these days that humility levels the playing field, and so does the charge quoted above. It doesn't really matter how I'm feeling; that charge was to me. Maybe I think I'm exempt because I feel more like receiving other people's response, but my ears and my heart heard the same words they did. I have to do it too.

My heart heard this version:

Go forth, even if you feel like sitting;
be of good courage, even if you think you don't have any;
render to no one evil, even if you think they deserve it;
strengthen the faint-hearted out of your own faint-heartedness;
support the weak in spite of your own weaknesses;
help the afflicted instead of dwelling on your own affliction;
honor all people (yes, all people);
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit, because that is the only way you're going to be able to do any of it.

Amen.