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Written by Cami Urquidi, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil
When I thought about prioritizing the relationship, the first thing that came to mind was the call of Jesus to his disciples.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke. 5:4-11 NIV)
Why did I think of this passage specifically? I was recently reading the book of a brother in Christ, who worked in a company. The interesting thing is he related that working in a company was not his first priority (of course it was important to earn a salary to pay the family bills), but what was most valuable to him was using the environment to create relationships and lead souls to Christ.
In thinking about this passage where Jesus calls His disciples and they leave everything to follow Him, I reflected on the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God. Placing Him first in our lives, obeying His word and making it our daily bread, because obviously it's not just getting in the water and voilà, happily ever after. We must relate more intimately with God, get to know Him, show true change and show Jesus in our lives, using the spaces and environments that He gives us in our daily lives (such as work, school, the neighborhood store, etc.) to turn them into opportunities to lead disciples to Christ. It is not just about unifying our own relationship with God, but about creating new relationships with, for and through Christ.
1 John 4:11 says, " Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” So, we must remain in love just as God loved us to the point of giving His own son; and we must understand that loving others also means wanting them to relate to God. In a certain way, a person's love for God manifests itself in love for other people and the intentional desire for these people to relate with Christ. They become disciples who want to follow their Teacher, leaving everything because they recognize that the most important thing in life is to create a true and lasting bond with our Heavenly King.
I currently work as a coordinator of pedagogy in a language school, so my life ends up being quite social. It involves having to interact all day with teachers, co-workers, students, parents, neighbors, supermarket employees, the gas station, etc. add to that church members, etc. I am aware that God gives me opportunities to interact with people. The problem is getting past that barrier of “I want to be your friend” to “I want you to meet my Savior, who can also be yours if you decide to follow Him.” It has been a great challenge for me, but something that has helped me a lot is to remember that I am in this world because He wants to relate to all His children, and it is my duty to help them find the right path to the Father. Therefore, I try to avoid thoughts like “I'm going to work” and instead I imagine: I'm entering the space that God has prepared to show the way of His loving relationship to others.
Matthew 28:19-20 says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Preparing disciples to make more disciples. It’s not easy, for there will always be doors that close in our faces, but with Christ the path is light.
What opportunities in your life have you taken advantage of so that other people know and have a relationship with Christ?
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Written by Jocelynn Goff, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries and mother of Michelle J. Goff
One Sunday many years ago in “early marriage days,” my husband came up to me after church saying, “See that man over there? I invited him for lunch.” “You did what?!” I asked incredulously as I looked at the man who had just walked into the church building that morning. He looked like he had slept in his ill-fitting suit. He had huge dandruff flakes all over the shoulders of his suit and in his eyebrows, in other words, a less than appealing presence of a man. I said, “He’s a stranger and we’ve got a baby to think about.” My husband replied, “I thought of that. That’s why I invited the preacher and his wife for lunch as well.” Again, my reply was, “You did what?!” I only have a one-pound meatloaf in the oven. We don’t have enough.” My husband gently said, “We have plenty. This man has $2.32 to his name and needs a bus ticket and ride to the bus station to get to his family. He came to the church for help.” Oh my! I was immediately humbled and changed my response to a prayer. “Dear Lord, please forgive my harsh, immediate judgment and please provide enough for us to share as You did with the small boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish.” This was my prayer all the way home from church as I was also thinking of what else to add to the one-pound meatloaf.
When we arrived home, I got the meatloaf out of the oven and noticed that it had actually shrunk, not grown. “Oh my! Dear Lord, we still need a miracle multiplication here like You did with the small boy’s lunch.” I added to the meatloaf meal three cans of green beans, two boxes of macaroni and cheese, and a can of fruit cocktail with a sliced banana. Then I sliced the meatloaf and served the meal.
Everyone was served some of everything: meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and fruit salad. We had pleasant conversation over lunch. The preacher and his wife agreed to take the man to the bus station and the church would pay for his bus ticket so he could go home to family.
After lunch and everyone had left, I cleared off the table and noticed the meatloaf. Do you know what? I had meatloaf left over! Everyone had been served, yet there was meatloaf left over. I remember in Mark’s account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish” (Mark 6:42-43 NIV).
So, the next day as I ate a sandwich made with leftover meatloaf, I was again reminded of my prayer for God to multiply the meatloaf as He did with the loaves and fishes and He did, and He gave me leftovers as a reminder of His abundant provision.
My reflection afterward was also for the scripture, Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” While I do not know if this man was an angel, I do know that this event and every time I remember it causes me to reflect on this verse and consider the real meaning of hospitality. We often think it’s opening our home to our family and friends. Actually, that is fellowship.
Fellowship is when connectedness or relationship is shared among those with a common aim or background. Hospitality is providing an act of service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests or strangers. It’s an act of service often to the least of these. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” As I’m sure you, like I do, want to serve Jesus Himself then we must learn to serve the “least of these.” This provides the greatest blessing to them, to us, and is Kingdom living.