Warrior

Yesterday before church, one of the prayer warriors of the congregation, a man half my height with a spirit of fire twice as bright as anything I've ever experienced, told me that he plans to fast on my behalf every Tuesday throughout my cancer treatment.

My first thought was alarm -- I'm not worthy of this! It's too much and too undeserved. And I hardly know this gentleman!

"Oh," I stumbled, "You don't need to do that for me."
He grabbed my arm and said ferociously in his clipped Filipino accent, "Yes. I must. And I will."
"Um, thanks."
How does one respond to that? I felt like a spiritual lightweight. When have I ever fasted on someone else's behalf? When have I ever fasted?? Man, I love eating.

But, as I walked into church, I was even more blown away by a quick revelation: if I am awed that a human would fast on my behalf, how much more awe-inspiring is it that a perfect God would die on my behalf? It's shocking, unexpected, almost ludicrous.

Romans 5:7 says, Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Just think about it and be amazed. No other religion has a God, a perfect and creative and all-powerful God, who is willing to sacrifice himself on behalf of completely undeserving-to-be-rescued, and even often undesiring-to-be-rescued, sinful people. We are not worthy and never can be, even after a lifetime of pursuing a Christlike heart.

It makes me feel almost giddy to accept such a gift.