SHIFT 08 - Devotional 3: Hang Out Authentically
Devotionals
“… You know how we lived among you for your sake.”
1 Thessalonians 1:5b NIV
You don’t have to be a genius to know that an essential part of being a “fisher for people” is to hang out where people who need to be caught are hanging out. If you want to go fishing, you can’t be on dry land!
Fishing for people takes a willingness to be a Samaritan on certain occasions. It takes an openness to others in order to recognize their need and an openness to God in order to recognize where God might be trying to insert you. It also takes time: time away from your own overcrowded schedule, time to hear the real need and to be able to act on it. I heard a speaker once who described Jesus’ ministry as a ministry of “while he was on his way.” This on-his-way quality of Jesus’ ministry is a reminder to us that a critical part of the “fishing” process is just hanging out.
If you think about it, this is what he did for us. He came to earth and hung out so that we could catch a glimpse of what God looks like with skin on.
However, let’s not forget that Jesus’ followers (following his example) adopted a particular way of hanging out. It wasn’t real complicated. It involved getting right before God and then being real about that with others. There were no religious airs on the one hand; nor were there were apologies for being consumed by God on the other. You see this constantly fleshed out in Paul’s letters.
“You know how we lived among you” he says to the Thessalonians. “Am I trying to please God or to please men with my life and teaching?” he asked the Galatians. And because of the integrity and authenticity of his life and witness among them he knew that they would have to answer, “You’re just trying to please God, Paul. Of course we know that.”
He’s even more pointed with the Corinthians. Listen to what he says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-4:
1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. {2 Corinthians 2:1-4 NIV}
Let’s look at one other Scripture reference before we leave this topic. In 1 Peter 2:12, Jesus’ good friend Peter talked about “fishing” like this:
Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us. {1 Peter 2:12 NIV}
TO THINK ABOUT:
- Can you see from all of these passages that Paul was not at all interested in impressing his hearers? What is Paul interested in?
- We would also be wise to learn from how authentic Paul was with his students. He’s always able to say, “I did not try to impress you. In fact, some of you were not impressed. You thought me weak and fearful. Well, I am what I am. I just wanted to show you Christ through everything I did. That was my only aim.” Can the people who know us affirm that about us? What are some areas in your life where you can shift your focus so that “showing Christ” is your only aim?
- Do you spend any time hanging out with people who do not know God’s love? Are you real about your faith in front of them?