From the beginning, in Jesus’ own teaching, it has been clear that people who are called to be agents of God’s healing love, putting the world to rights, are called also to be people whose own lives are put to rights by the same healing love. The messengers must model the message.
NT Wright, Simply Christian, p.204
Thoughts?
A person can only fake something for so long. If we are reaching out as agents of God’s healing love, but have not experienced that healing love in our own lives, we will grow bitter and grow to resent the very people we are trying to help. How can we hand out a love that we have not first received? It is ultimately impossible.