Kingdom ComeSample

PRAYER:

God, give me eyes to see the world as you see it and to see other people as you see them. 

READING:

If you are a parent, or, for that matter, if you have ever been a child, you’ve probably had some experience making chocolate milk. So, you know that when you start stirring the milk and it turns from white to brown, it’s not some kind of magic trick. It’s because there was already chocolate syrup sitting on the bottom of the glass. Everything that was needed to change the milk into chocolate milk was already there, but it needed to be stirred to bring about the change.

The author of Hebrews is saying there’s something similar that goes on in the life of a Jesus follower. We have in us the potential and power for great “love and good deeds.” But sometimes that potential lies dormant. It settles to the bottom and doesn’t work its way into the world where it is so desperately needed. It needs somebody, or maybe even a group of somebodies, to come along and stir it up. 

This is one of the most important gifts Jesus followers can give to one another. They can be agitators, refusing to let love settle to the bottom of our lives. They can come alongside one another and stir love into action through encouragement, accountability, and support.

We need to prioritize these kinds of relationships in our lives. And we need to extend permission to others to speak truth to us, even if it’s hard to hear—even if it feels agitating. We’ll often find that a little agitating is just what we need to discover a life of greater love and purpose.

REFLECTION:

Prioritizing healthy relationships that sharpen us takes intentionality and vulnerability. Prayerfully consider the people in your life—family, friends, coworkers. Who are some of your safest people? It might be that the safest people you know aren’t that close, but you would like to get closer because they’d be good for you. What would it look like for you to give these safe people the permission to speak truth into your life in a deeper way? Consider inviting them to walk with you more closely and to know you more authentically, messiness and all. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight the people he wants to draw into your life in a closer way. And then reach out.