Don't forget the prize

Even in ministry, sometimes I think it's hard to remember the prize. Our team spends a few hours each week planning how we're going to bring Jesus to our communities and to our students and kids, and yet sometimes I myself completely forget all about Jesus.
Today, Xandra and I had a great conversation about theology. I, being a charismatic, have strong beliefs about how the spirit works and who the spirit is. Her, being more conservative, has never really experience much of the spirit or the spiritual realm but knows almost every bible story there is to know. It wasn't a hostile debate at all, just a warm conversation where we explored who god is together.
But, it wasn't until after going to Hout Bay playground that I started to reconsider that nothing we were talking about really mattered. Yes, the spirit matters. Yes, His works matter. Yes, it's good to talk about God. But if you lose God in the process, it doesn't matter.
When we arrived on the playground and all these kids from the community fought each other just for our attention, it no longer mattered how I interpret the bible versus someone else, or even how we do ministry. The only thing that mattered was Jesus and his people. Before us, I saw kids who desperately needed Jesus. It was our job to bring Him to them. Period. End of story. Case closed. That's Christianity. Simple as that.
A friend of ours today was talking to me about callings and God and all kinds of cool things. But one thing he told me was that all of us have one calling that is the same for each person. We are supposed to look like Jesus in this world. That is our calling.
It's kind of funny that I'm surrounded by "faith" type things ALL the time because I'm in ministry, but sometimes we all completely miss the one thing we're all supposed to be fighting for.
Basically, I love those Hout Bay kids and I can't wait to love on them again and show them who Jesus is.