What we see on the surface often does not tell the whole story. It’s true of pictures, and it’s true of people. So, if we're going to live the kind of life that naturally and intentionally points people toward Jesus, we've got be truly engaged in people's lives. We've got to go beyond the smile and a handshake to genuinely know people. Want to know how? Try living in 3D.
Develop Friendships. Better than anyone in history, Jesus acted on the possibility in people. He looked at people from God's perspective, and often began with a simple conversation. Take, for example, the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4: 4-26). Jesus went to the town watering hole at noon on a hot day, and when a woman came, he simply asked for a drink of water. Often, all it takes to begin pointing people to Jesus is opening our eyes to see people from God's perspective...the neighbor you’ve never met… the coworker that’s always grouchy… the mom at the ballgame who’s unmerciful on the ref, the coach, her kid, and everyone around her… the person sitting all alone at church. All of them are real people. And if somebody would just take the time to develop a genuine friendship, there's no telling what could happen.
Discover Stories. There was good reason why the Samaritan woman was coming for water at the hottest part of the day. She was ashamed. She knew that she was the one mothers used as an illustration when talking to their daughters about purity. Jesus didn't let knowing all about this woman get in the way of genuinely engaging in her life. I wonder...if you knew that the neighbor you’ve never met lived in isolation because she has medical complications, or that the coworker that’s always grouchy lived with an abusive spouse, or that the over-the-top mom had parents that rode her unmercifullyor that the person sitting alone at church decided to come one more time to see if anybody cared before attempting suicide, would that make a difference in your perspective? Of course it would. But we'll only know those things if we take the time to discover stories.
Discern Next Steps. Jesus used the common ground of water and the Samaritan woman's anticipation of the coming Messiah to take the next step. He offered her living water… a relationship with God not based on location or lineage, but on faith. What's the next step? It's the one that follows the step that took you across the room in the first place. Maybe it will be offering a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Maybe it will be celebrating a special day. Maybe it will be offering to pray, or a phone call, or an email, or a text. I don’t know what it will be. But I do know that with a little patience, a little perseverance, and a big dose of being tuned into the ever present Spirit of God, and next steps occur.
Want to get started? Here's a simple step all of us can take: Look around you. On your way home today, before you park the car, look around you. Ask God to help you see your neighbors as He sees them. At school or at work tomorrow, look around you. Ask God to help you see your classmates, coworkers, teachers and bosses as God sees them. Everywhere you go this week, look around you. Is there someone there that God wants you to develop a friendship with? Is there a story He wants you do discover. Is there a next step He wants you to take?
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