Before Your Eyes and in Front of Your Nose
Recently I read a blog by a man named Jason Helopoulos. He said that many times after church we find ourselves talking to someone who was not on our list. Instead of devoting ourselves to the person in front of us we're looking elsewhere while we are bemoaning missed ministry opportunities on the other side of the room or at the other end of a ringing phone. We often fail to realize that the one in front of our eyes is our ministry opportunity.
His blog jogged my memory. One year when we lived in Vermont I did a paper on understanding how God wants us to minister within the church. I called what God would have us do an ifoyn (in front of your nose) ministry. I remembered my friend Mom Walker. She had a son who was college age and he would often invite other students home with him. This ministry came to her. She did not have to agonize about what should she find to do. On Sunday morning as she would greet visitors, she would listen for information that would link this person to someone else in the church, perhaps a common vocation, a hobby, or birthplace. Then Mom would say to the newcomer that they just had to meet this person and she would do the introductions. Mom demonstrated contentment with where she was serving, and whom she was serving.
I remember feeling like I had learned this lesson but I'm painfully aware of how quickly I forget. Too many times have I listened to someone and my mind and eyes are really focused elsewhere. Too many times have I concluded that I find a brother or sister-in-Christ boring and I attempt to wait out the conversation until I can move on to someone more interesting.
We are called to be like the second Adam, Jesus and not like the first. I can't picture Jesus ever rejecting those his father had put in front of Him. He would not allow His disciples to turn away the children. If Jesus had ignored the woman at the well, he would have been like almost everyone else in her village. Instead Jesus dealt with her firmly and kindly. He treated her like an intelligent human being as he conversed with her. When the woman sought to be healed by touching the hem of his garment, he did not not brush her off, ignore her, or rebuke her. He addressed her immediate need.
All of us need to open our eyes and ears to whomever God has placed in front of us. We need to stop viewing any of them as an unwelcome interlude between those that we view for whatever reason as the important ones for that day. Jesus did not have two lists. There was no A list of essential people with whom he should interact. There was no B. list that was looked at only when the A list was checked off. There was one list and that list was ordered ultimately by His heavenly father.
Still make your lists but be ready for what ever major or minor editing God chooses to do. He is sovereign and by relying on his sovereignty He gives us peace.
His blog jogged my memory. One year when we lived in Vermont I did a paper on understanding how God wants us to minister within the church. I called what God would have us do an ifoyn (in front of your nose) ministry. I remembered my friend Mom Walker. She had a son who was college age and he would often invite other students home with him. This ministry came to her. She did not have to agonize about what should she find to do. On Sunday morning as she would greet visitors, she would listen for information that would link this person to someone else in the church, perhaps a common vocation, a hobby, or birthplace. Then Mom would say to the newcomer that they just had to meet this person and she would do the introductions. Mom demonstrated contentment with where she was serving, and whom she was serving.
I remember feeling like I had learned this lesson but I'm painfully aware of how quickly I forget. Too many times have I listened to someone and my mind and eyes are really focused elsewhere. Too many times have I concluded that I find a brother or sister-in-Christ boring and I attempt to wait out the conversation until I can move on to someone more interesting.
We are called to be like the second Adam, Jesus and not like the first. I can't picture Jesus ever rejecting those his father had put in front of Him. He would not allow His disciples to turn away the children. If Jesus had ignored the woman at the well, he would have been like almost everyone else in her village. Instead Jesus dealt with her firmly and kindly. He treated her like an intelligent human being as he conversed with her. When the woman sought to be healed by touching the hem of his garment, he did not not brush her off, ignore her, or rebuke her. He addressed her immediate need.
All of us need to open our eyes and ears to whomever God has placed in front of us. We need to stop viewing any of them as an unwelcome interlude between those that we view for whatever reason as the important ones for that day. Jesus did not have two lists. There was no A list of essential people with whom he should interact. There was no B. list that was looked at only when the A list was checked off. There was one list and that list was ordered ultimately by His heavenly father.
Still make your lists but be ready for what ever major or minor editing God chooses to do. He is sovereign and by relying on his sovereignty He gives us peace.
So true. And this...who knows whether YOU are the person God placed in front of HER nose today? In other words, maybe we're the ones who are being ministered to!
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