I used to think Bob Goff was my least favorite speaker. Now I know He is someone who leaks Jesus any way he can.
My first impression of Bob wasn’t great. I was at Catalyst and he wasn’t anything like the other speakers who happened to all be preachers. To say he was different was an understatement. After he spoke, my two friends who went with me couldn’t stop raving about him. I just smiled and nodded along wondering what they saw or heard that got them so fired up. I saw a guy on stage with balloons and a funny laugh. They saw what I couldn’t.
It wasn’t until I started reading his book “Love Does” that I began to see Bob Goff for who he is. In this book, you will find story after story of some amazing things that you can experience when you see your normal interactions as an opportunity to say “yes” and show God’s love to someone else. All of a sudden, the life you’ve been living looks boring and the life God called us to live is anything but boring.
I took my time reading this book even though I could have read it in a day. I took my time trying to not just listen to the stories, but to learn the lessons hidden throughout. I mainly read it while on a plane flying from one city to another. I’m sure the people around me felt I had schizophrenia because at times I would bust out laughing. Then a few minutes later, I would have tears rolling down my cheeks as I was humbled.
“Love Does” is an amazing read that takes your perceptions and challenges them. It has caused me to question many things that I’ve perceived as standard ways to do things and shown them in a new light by looking at how Jesus responded in those situations. If Jesus acted a certain way, why should we act any differently? Bob shows how love changes everything. How when we leak Jesus, it has an everlasting effect on others.
One of my favorite chapters is how he got into law school. Oh yeah, he’s a lawyer, not a preacher. Maybe that’s why he stood out at Catalyst! I love the story of September 11th with his kids and the incredible journey that followed just by asking a dad question. There is a story of a stranger wanting to use his backyard to get engaged that ended with the Coast Guard getting involved. Another of my favorites was the story of how a practical joke of leaving $400 room service bill for a friend ended up changing who the Consul for Uganda was.
This book is filled with incredible stories written by an incredible man. This book makes me want to live better stories and the best part is that all I have to do is say “yes” when opportunities arise. The love Jesus showed wasn’t just with His words. It was shown in His actions. Our actions should show that same love to others whether it’s a stranger or a friend. We need to get off the tracks of life that go in a circle, spin a globe, put our finger down and begin an adventure that is planned by God, not us.
I’ve never personally met Bob, but I plan to. I may have to take a trip to his office on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland or just find an event where he is speaking. He, like his book, is not what you expect. I had a prepackaged idea of what to expect from a speaker at Catalyst and what a book called “Love does” was all about. I was happily wrong about both. Do yourself a favor and buy this book here. You’ll be helping educate children in Uganda if you do.
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 