My Cup of Coffee with Jesus

"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42) In my daily walk with Christ, I find that it's often easy to get distracted from my time alone with Him. That is why, whenever I enter the office, I do my best to begin my day with time alone with the Father through prayer and His word. Usually no one comes calling or knocking , especially not on a Saturday (even though we have men's coffee scheduled at 9, no one usually comes by). So this morning, after settling in with a cup of coffee and my Bible, a knock comes at the door. The man was someone I'd never met before, but I'd heard of him, and he needed a ride. My first thought was "I don't know you. I don't know your intentions, I'm busy, go away." And yet, I knew it was not the most Christ-like attitude I could give. so I invited him in to my study, grabbed my coffee and asked him if it would be okay if I finished this cup before we went. And for 20 minutes or so (And about 10 minutes on the drive to meet his brother), I got to share life with someone who, I came to realize on the way back, was what Jesus would call "the least of these." It's easy to consider our schedules, our time, our lives, our families, and everything else when seeking to help someone else out, but really, when I'm honest with myself, anyway, my refusal (yes, refusal) to help the least of these comes from self-satisfaction. I have better things to do. I have plans. I'm busy. And yet, in the time to come, Jesus will consider His judgement (in part) by how we did things with and for Him through how we treat the least. I came to the realization that, in doing good, if I'd do it for my closest friend or brother, if I'd do it for someone who "looked upstanding," I also must do it for someone who doesn't fit my role of "safe." Jesus isn't about safe. Yes, there's risk, personally and physically in helping a stranger, to life, property, and anything else. Yet, we're called to help anyway. There's no stipulations. As a matter of fact, we're to love our enemies like this as well! Considering all of this, how we treat all others, Jesus takes it personally. He treats all we do as if it was to Him personally. And so my attitude, in light of what pleases Jesus shifts from "that interrupted a part of my morning" to "Thanks for drinking coffee with me this morning and visiting with me, Jesus." Matthew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’