This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 1 John 3:11
Attending church is not about me and it’s not about you. It’s about Him. Each Sunday, when you enter your church, remember that each and every person you meet, greet and encounter is bringing with them the wounds of their past, the struggles of their present and the unspoken anxieties of their future. What people want to know is whether you will love them just as they are, even if they don’t fit the mold or change as quickly as you would like them to change. Most people are shy, distrustful and relationally impaired. Our mandate is to make friends out of them, not just benchwarmers and financial contributors.
Jesus told His disciples, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Take the opportunity and privilege on Sunday to be a friend to everyone you meet. Be the one to extend your hand first, to smile first, to lean in and offer a warm, welcoming hug. Scan the people in your congregation and whisper a silent prayer to the Lord. Ask Him to show you anyone who may need an extra-special moment of your attention. You’ll be amazed at how quickly people respond to your question, “Is there anything I can pray for you during this upcoming week?” It’s about Jesus. He has called us to love one another. He wants us to be vessels through which He can express His love to others.
Action Item: On Sunday, don’t think about what you are going to get at church or how you are going to be affected by the message. Think about who you are going to touch and how they are going to be affected by the love you show them. You’ll be fulfilling the Lord’s command and you’ll end up being the one who is most blessed.
Prayer: Loving Shepherd, I will spend much of my time today with people. Some of them know You, but many do not. Please give me wisdom to say things that lead people closer to You. Give me words of help and hope for the broken; words of tenderness for the faint of heart; words of direction for the confused. Father, I pray that whatever words I say today may reflect Your will and bless others. In Jesus’ name I pray.
- J. Bahr
This devo taken from Better Together, available now in the First Place 4 Health online store.