A Whole New World

The title has nothing to do with the song from Alladin, but with some of my experiences since graduating from high school. Working in a pump shop for the past couple of months, I have gotten to know some guys who I normally would have very little to do with, as we have extremely different lifestyles. I'll just give you a couple examples of the types of guys I work with. They're your typical oilfield workers, potty-mouthed and heavy smokers. One guy is currently under house arrest, while another is on probation. Another guy cannot even remember the number of times that he has been arrested. They have been charged with everything from driving under the influence to stealing cars. When we have to take the urine sample drug test in the upcoming months, I will probably be one of the few people in the shop who passes. Definitely not the kinds of people that I have grown up with, being from a Christian family and all.

However, around the shop, they all seem like nice enough guys if you ignore the foul language. I was surprised that I found myself not judging them for their choices, or looking down on them because I have never made the same mistakes. Instead, I see them as people who are lost in life, and are looking for something to fill the emptiness that they feel inside. They would never admit this, but I know that deep down it is true for all of them.

Through these experiences, I am reminded of the character of Jesus. These were precisely the types of people that He came to minister to. He even said that it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Matthew 9:12). He did not condemn them for their actions, but instead loved them as they were, offering them the key to eternal life. John 3:17 says, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him." It is this example that I try to follow at work. I do not try to hide my faith, nor do I shove it down their throats. Instead, I try not to judge them for the choices that they make, but instead let Christ's love shine through me. I am not saying that I never fail in my efforts, because I do, on many an occasion. However, I try to keep in mind that Christ working through me may be the only Jesus that they will ever see or know, and that is not a responsibility to be taken lightly.