Who are the primary people in my sphere of influence? Are they the same type of people that Jesus hung out with?
Yes and no.
One the one hand, Jesus hung out with His disciples. Men who followed Jesus and were dedicated to learning everything they could from Him. Men who left everything to walk in His footsteps. I hang with a group very much like this. Imperfect men and women who are sold out on becoming more like Jesus. They challenge me. They encourage me. They inspire me.
But on the other hand, Jesus hung out with guys like Mr. Z (you’ll have to look it up in Luke 19). And He was constantly criticized for it…
But the people were displeased.
“He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Luke 19:7, NLT
I don’t know that the same would be said of me…certainly not very often. And this is an area that God is working on in my life. Where am I coming into contact with people that need Him most? A few weeks ago the topic came up in a book we are reading in LifeGroup (Crazy Love). Am I hanging out with “notorious sinners”? Am I feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, taking care of widows and orphans?
Not like I should be…and I’m praying for God to show me how He wants me to be involved at this level. Who does He want me to serve…and how?
Post Tags: Crazy Love, Luke, Service
