Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 "Is It Contagious?"

Tsunami Devotional by Steve Keaton

Wednesday, May 6^th, 2009

Title: Is It Contagious?

Text: Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

My little girl Avery has been sick for a few days now. She is usually a bounce out of bed and hit the ground running, little red-headed rocket. However, yesterday morning instead of vaulting from her “Big Girl” bed Avery just remained in her room. Eventually she made her way downstairs and slowly crawled up onto the warm and comfortable lap of her mommy. Then Avery quietly whispered into Kim’s ear, “I don’t feel good.” Kim could instantly tell that this was definitely not a case of a 4 year old trying to skip pre-school, but a little girl who just felt rotten. So, we did what all good parents would do. We gave her some medicine and apple juice, laid her back down in her stuffed animal covered bed and turned on the animated classic, “Open Season 2”, which she watched back to back for the next 8 hours. Praying that she would be back to her old self this morning, we quickly realized that this was not to happen and eventually Kim bundled Avery up and carted her off to the doctor. After an exam and a quick swab to the throat, our suspicions were confirmed. Avery had strep throat.

Kim called me as they were leaving the doctor’s office and gave me the news. It was nice to have an idea of what was going on with my little girl, especially since the entire country is trying to combat the Swine Flu. I had a strong suspicion that was not the case, but I did ask the common question that most people tend to ask when they realize they’ve been around a sick person, “Is she contagious?” Kim let me know that as long and known of us eat or drink after her for the next day or so that we should be just fine. And Avery should beck to normal very soon. That is good news considering we have 2 other children running around the house, and the fact that when I get sick I become the world’s biggest baby. The last thing Kim needs is to have a household of sick children including the 39 year old big one.

Getting sick and then spreading those germs on to others is never a fun thing. I know that there have been a few times when I felt so bad that I would have never wished that on anyone else. But nonetheless, we see every Flu season cases of sick people passing their illness on the next person and then the next. Being contagious and then spreading it to others is never a good thing. Or is it?

I must say that I wish our faith was a bit more contagious. Not in the sense that we spread germs and sickness, but in the notion that our spirit, our compassion for others, the light of Christ and our willingness to love all people the way Jesus does becomes so overwhelmingly attractive that any person we come in contact with begins to do the same things. How cool would it be that when we really allow the spirit of God to flow from us, saturate the world we walk in, begin truly doing the things that God has called us to do, and we love our neighbor as ourselves, all of a sudden those people start to do the very same thing? They have become infected by the incurable presence of their loving Creator. Then before we know, the contagious spirit of Christ has spread from person to person, house to house, country to country and so forth, until the world is blanketed with God. So let’s start the pandemic spread of Christ’s love, mercy, compassion and grace. Let our actions and reactions, the smiles on our faces and our willingness to meet the needs of others speak louder than the shirts we wear, the sermons we preach or the songs we sing. By doing so, we can change this world from the inside out. I have a feeling that being a contagious Christ-Follower could change the world as we know it.

Something to Think About:

• Have you ever become sick because you’ve been around a contagious person?
• How easy was it to become infected?
• Do you think that Christ’s presence in your life is such that it could positively infect others?
• In what ways are you a Contagious Christ-Follower?
• In what ways could you become more contagious?
• How could this impact your life, the lives of those around you and the world?

A Few Minutes with God:

Gracious God, I pray to you today that you may fill me with your spirit of love, mercy, justice and compassion and that your presence and your place in my life may be so evident that all I encounter will feel your power and be drawn to a closer, more meaningful and fulfilled relationship with you. And that through these contagious encounters, your impact will cover this world and change it forever. In your Holy name, Amen.