Life Investment

As followers of Christ who have been found by God, we are called to go out and find people who are far away from His heart. People matter to God, therefore they had better matter to us. I'm not just talking about Christians either, the lost matter to God as well. So many times, I've seen churches forsake the Gospel and close their doors to the world and just worry about the salvation of those who have already received it. The Gospel is much more than a sermon in a pew or singing songs. It's about actively and intently loving people with the love of Christ and showing them what that love looks like in the kingdom of God. For God so loved us, we who are born of Adamic blood, that is the blood of Adam who fell in Eden, He actively and passionately pursued us, so much so, that He gave apart of His own self to die through the redemptive act of the cross. Those who have accepted Christ as Lord, are commanded that we do the same. Christ paved the way for salvation, and thus we must continue the work and expand His kingdom. Not for the sake of numbers for the church, but for the sake of numbers for eternity. Everyone needs a rescue from something, whether it be sickness, addiction or pain. Life change is brought only when surrender is given and trust is established. Often times, we forget that it is God who saves, and not us. In order for found people to find people, we have to invest in their lives.

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Before "popping the question" so to speak on a non-believer, a connection and relationship must be established. It is symbolic with your relationship with Christ. You know Him through His word, accept Him by what He has done, and trust Him in what He will do and what He promises. One of the key principles in discipleship that is crucial to not only in growth with ourselves and God, but with others and their relationship with God is community. Community with other believers to not only worship as one body but also to grow in relation with others as God commands and to grow in relationship to Him. Small groups are an example of this, where we hold each other accountable and exchange wisdom in areas of struggle. Also, community with non-believers, that is, in the sense of intently seeking relationship and reaching out to that person. It can be intimidating, sharing your faith with someone who has never heard the gospel, or someone who is familiar with it and chooses to reject it, which is why building relationship is soo crucial. For 3 months, challenge yourself to find just one person, and just invest in that person. What does it mean to invest? Just like when you invest in a company, it collects interest, and often times it will go through seasons of change and fluctuations. Investing simply means that you realize that the person you are investing in, matters more to you and to God than your own self. To invest simply means to sacrifice your time, talents and maybe even finances at times. Time is the most critical. Making yourself available to someone shows to them that they not only matter to you, but also to God because you took the time and effort to actively pursue that person, and God will honor that.

I often think back when I first accepted Christ. I remember sitting in my uncle's living room, unsure of what I was getting myself into. He read me a couple passages of scripture and at the time, I'll be honest, I had no idea what any of it meant. One thing that stuck out the most though was he took the time with me, and I knew he cared about me. It can be real easy to open up the bible and throw out every verse you can think of, but if that heart is not prepared for it, then chances are it will not recieve it. Love never just happens, it is learned. It is taught. To be do-ers of the Word, and not just hearers, We must know what it means to obey and teach what Jesus taught. How can we do this, if we don't know what He taught. In order for us to pass it on, it must first be in us.

Thank you for reading, God bless you.
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