2018, what if...

2018

We look to 2018 and wonder if we should make resolutions or just go on to the next day.  What’s in a New Year anyway?

What if, instead of making lists of things that we may or may not do, we just committed to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.  What if we committed to live right-side up in this upside-down world?  

What if?

What if we became known as people of truth and love?  What if the truth was always in us?  What if love was always the vessel through which truth was delivered?  That’s a lot of what if’s.

Well, here is one more.  What if we called people home like never before?  Not because we had a food basket or Christmas gifts for them, but because they belong in the body of Christ.  Inclusion in the body of Christ is so essential in this disconnected century.  Inclusion is where our connections lead.  Connecting is not the end of the mission.  We must lead people to inclusion in the body of Christ.

Our ministries connect with a lot of people, but we must not be content to leave them where they are.  Think inclusion more than ever this year.

We still reach out to the lost, but so much of our ministry is to call home those who once professed Jesus as Lord but decided—for so many different reasons—not to follow him.  They stopped gathering together.  They stopped serving together.  They stopped growing in grace.

For those of us who have been blessed by God with eyes to see right-side up in and upside-down world, we must not leave people conformed to the patterns of this world.  Most of our ministry is not to those who have never heard the words of life, but to those who did and professed Jesus as their Savior, but don’t live with him as Lord.

This year that is set before us must be the year of our greatest discipleship.  Let us continue to grow in grace and serve the Lord as we bring people back into the family of faith.  Let’s manifest our love for one another by bringing people home.

May God bless you and your discipleship in 2018!