A room-service waiter at a Marriott hotel learned that the sister of a guest had just died. The waiter, named Charles, bought a sympathy card, had hotel staff members sign it, and gave it to the distraught guest with a piece of hot apple pie. "Mr. Marriott," the guest later wrote to the president of Marriott Hotels, "I'll never meet you. And I don't need to meet you. Because I met Charles. I know what you stand for. ... I want to assure you that as long as I live, I will stay at your hotels. And I will tell my friends to stay at your hotels." I love that story. And I love it not only for the kindness of that person but because it tells any follower of Jesus that is how we ought to be and what we ought to do. Imagine someone looking at your life…your love and kindness and goodness and someone saying…because I know you, I know what this Jesus is like. And I know what he stands for and what he did and how he changes people because you are his follower, and you represent him. The Bible tells us that we are ambassadors for this Jesus of the Bible and that our destiny and the destiny of every person who journeys through life on this earth is to be conformed to his image…so that we all would be like him with the same kind of love and forgiveness and mercy and grace shown to others as we follow him. We can’t just choose to do the things that Jesus did…there is too much of the brokenness in the world in us…called sin. We need to be born again and in that new life this Jesus spiritually lives in us and we can demonstrate the heart of Christ by our life and love. And just maybe someone will see that and want that in their lives too. And maybe, like that lady at the Marriott, they will want to tell all their friends to come to that Jesus that you know and has changed your life. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Romans 8:29 BSB For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:29 BSB For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.