Do you ever find yourself wondering what God’s will is for your life? Well, pay attention, because I’ve got your answer right here in this humble little article.
Before we get to that however, this message from our sponsor – there’s a reason for the artwork accompanying this article. Stay tuned.
Okay, here is God’s will for your life
God’s will for your life – what He wants every one of His children to do – is simple.
He commands us to love our neighbor.
Loving your neighbor, what James (James 2:8) calls the “royal law,” is at the very heart of our mission – the reason we were called, saved, and justified. If you’re still on this planet, that’s the mission. The reason that one command can take front and center is because it encompasses all this:
Loving your neighbor means you want the best for him/her - and the very best is a relationship with his/her Creator (in other words, you want to make more disciples)
Loving your neighbor also encompasses loving one another, which is our command in relation to our fellow Jesus-followers (that our love for the brethren will testify to the love of our Father)
The above two points are impossible without loving God, because the Holy Spirit in us is what sparks the love we are to share with others. Continuing to obey His Word in all things is how we know we are loving Him (John 14:21).
Let’s focus on that first bullet point – loving your neighbor. How you do that is up to you, of course. But you are to do it. So let’s talk about this on a practical level, with one very practical approach. Brace yourself – here it is:
Open your home
I see you. You’re the person who doesn’t even like to answer the door, much less let anyone come through it. I see you because I am you. We all are you. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco has a whole bit about how we used to love when the doorbell rang – it meant someone was here, and everyone raced to answer it. Now we flip the lights off, drop to the floor, and whisper fiercely “nobody move – maybe they’ll go away!”
So we’re going to have to rethink that. I talked here about living like the early church – the first Christians who shared belongings, shared their homes, and shared their meals. I also talked about the way this practice, among believers, shows the world what God's family looks like - a picture that the world does not often see, sadly. The Bible also explicitly tells us to practice hospitality, both to our fellow disciples and to “strangers” (often people who do not yet know Him – see 1 Timothy 5:10 and Hebrews 13:2).
Practicing hospitality? My house is a mess! That may be your reaction, especially if you have children at home. Your house hasn’t been ready for company since they were born!
But reaching out to the “neighbors” in your life – whether they are actual neighbors, work colleagues, or anyone else in your regular circle of acquaintances – reaching out to them and inviting them into your home, generally for a meal, is perhaps the most powerful evangelism tool you will ever have. Let me explain.
What we are – and are not – talking about
To be clear, we are not talking about luring them in and hitting them with a Bible. Nor are we talking about inviting them to church (at least for awhile), because many non-Christians find this off-putting. We’re also not talking about frantically trying to work our key words into the conversation (Jesus, God, church) while completely ignoring what they’re saying.
Instead, we are talking about:
Building a genuine relationship with them, family to family (or family to couple, or couple to single, or whatever that combination may be)
Listening to them way more than talking to them, especially at first
Getting to know them and their needs, and starting to trust each other enough that they might allow us to meet some of those needs
Allowing them to meet some of our needs!
Within our own family – praying for them regularly and diligently
Allowing natural conversations to unfold on any topic (even the hot-button ones), where we let them speak their minds even while we pray continuously for the Holy Spirit to speak through us
Genuinely caring for them and enjoying their company, even as we seek the Lord’s wisdom on how to speak truth to them, with abundant grace and love
We are talking about loving them into our family of God.
Let’s get real
We’ve all probably entertained the somewhat “magical” thought that if we just “reflect Christ” enough, people will ask us why we’re different. I know I’ve thought that.
So – when has that ever happened? Has a stranger ever turned to you in an elevator or on the bus and said, “Hey, you seem to be glowing. Can you tell me about Jesus?”
It hasn’t happened because in our culture, nobody is going to ask that kind of personal question unless – unless you already have some relationship with them.
And what does that tell us?
We must build relationships. That is how we do the Great Commission. Even if we are called to live in a foreign culture as missionaries, most people will still respond to us better from within a relationship. And, the better we love them, the more they will trust us and want to spend time with us and – yes – want to know who made us the way we are.
Simply by obeying the “royal command” and loving as we have been loved, we can sacrificially love our neighbors in a way that will make a difference for eternity.
Loving your neighbor by inviting him in for dinner is pretty simple, but can be revolutionary. (That’s the subject of Del Tackett’s Engagement Project study – helping us learn how to use our homes and families to advance Christ’s Kingdom – if you’re interested in a deep dive on this.)
Let’s get real real
Make no mistake – building a relationship with a person or couple or family who are far from God is a lifetime commitment. Our goal is to build a strong friendship. Our job is to love them enough that they just love being in our home – and our job is to pray.
With the Spirit’s prompting, our job will also be to speak truth, winsomely and lovingly. But it is HIS job to convict them and save them. We cannot do that. We do our part and let God do His.
Now, what about your kids? Well, most people know what a house with kids looks like. If the family you’re inviting has kids, they really know.
But involving your kids in loving your neighbors is the best thing you can do for them. Imagine them seeing this relationship bear fruit for the Kingdom. Imagine seeing God work in lives as you pray together for the people you know.
Children need to see God work. They need to know He is real in a way that picture book Bible stories cannot. Head knowledge is not enough. But once they see God work in real ways in real lives – that is a God they will never want to abandon – a powerful God who answers real prayers.
The best thing you can do for your children is to model God’s love through your “neighbor” interaction and allow them to join in. Dr. Tackett says the primary work of the Kingdom has been entrusted to the common everyday Christian family. And it may end up blessing no one more than the children involved. Author Rosaria Butterfield agrees, and I love her quote on this:
We pit the command to nurture and teach our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord against the command to love our neighbor. We must stop and think this through. On the one hand, we of course must protect our children from harm. On the other hand, we must not presume that sheltering them will accomplish this. Perhaps our children need to know that when they confront doubts and fears, sexual temptations, and moral and faith crises, we will not be shocked, offended, or hurt by this reality. Our children need to know that we know how serious the Enemy is, how alien and powerful our righteousness in Christ is, and how deep and wide and big and powerful our sin can become if we hide it. But if we have a ministry to the lost, and if our children know that we truly love our unbelieving neighbors, if they have witnessed us coming alongside those who are struggling or burdened or falling under the weight of sin and tragedy, perhaps, just perhaps, our children will trust us with their deep things... Perhaps our love of those image bearers, all of them, especially the difficult ones, will be a pledge to our children that the mosaics of their private lives are safe with us. — The Gospel Comes with a House Key
Step out in faith
So ask God to give you fresh eyes to see the people in your sphere. Ask Him to help you let go of your convenience, your privacy, your pride about needing a House Beautiful home – and begin to let people in.
Open your table and open your heart. The artwork above is a beautiful piece by Jonathan Shaw, called Open Table. I love what the artist says about it:
It can be challenging in this fast-paced day ‘n age to slow down and enjoy the presence of others. This painting, titled “Open Table,” reflects on the beauty of sharing a meal and cultivating deep relationships. I love how God created us to repose from our work three times a day to partake in a meal. In a sense, mealtimes are like mini sabbaths reminding us that we are dependent upon “bread” and “rest.” These tangible needs ultimately point us toward the Bread of Life and the full Shalom and Rest He gives. I look forward to the day when we are all gathered around the Lord’s Table, celebrating His goodness and glory.* — Jonathan Shaw
Me too, Jonathan. And that, my dear sister or brother, is God’s will for your life. God has placed people in your life who need Him - your neighbors, colleagues, really anyone who is in your regular sphere of influence (think your hairdresser, your favorite barista at your favorite cafe, etc.) Find strangers and start to make them into friends. Love them. Invite them to eat at your table. And then with all the Spirit’s grace and wisdom, speak truth.
May God bring many such friends into His family.
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Galatians 5:14
*If you’d like to see more of Jonathan’s spiritually-themed work, visit his website.