1 Thessalonians 2:8 “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
In my early twenties, I began taking my 14-year-old sister and three of her friends to a lively church each week to help them get connected to a vibrant Christian community. Like most teenage girls, they were shy and self-conscious, but they wanted to be plugged in. I was going through my hippie phase with turbo-charged long curly hair and bright ethnic clothing, so was probably quite hard to miss! Being more confident as well, I found it easy enough to get to know people. My sister and her three friends continued going week by week through the term whilst I was away at university. When I came back in the holidays, I took them again. Immediately someone came up to me, greeted me, and then turned to the girls: “Hey nice to have you back again!” My sister replied: “Actually we’ve been here every week.” None of those four girls, now women, has a relationship with Jesus anymore, as far as I know. There’s only so much of being ignored, week by week, that anyone can put up with…
When people come to church, it is not friendliness they need but friends. Let’s not do the handshake out of duty but rather let’s show genuine interest in others, hang out and do life with them. Often we’re good at inviting outsiders into our meetings but not so good at sharing our lives with them. My Mum is a great role model in this respect, always greeting newcomers and inviting them around for food.
Sharing our lives – our victories and defeats, our fears and concerns, our laughter and our tears – that’s what Paul did and what he’s calling us to do. Who can you reach out to this week, offering not just friendliness but true friendship?
Lord, help me to open up and share my life with others today. Amen!
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