OK, don’t get super spiritual on me and comment on the title without reading the content. Too often we shun or judge people, places and things from merely the first glance, or cover or in this case the title. Allow me to reach for a moment and tie something very important together for us…

Fellows and ladies this could apply to you as well. Imagine if you will middle of the day, or at your favorite coffee shop or even the club you attend regularly, an amazingly beautiful woman (or man) walks in and completely assumes control of all of your attention. You look, she/he looks… you exchanges smiles… and you cannot take your eyes off of her/him. She/he is all you think about as you fill your shopping cart with eggs and bread, pretend to be listening to your friends or sip your coffee. Finally you reach deep down inside of you and gather the strength and courage to MAKE YOUR MOVE. If you are at a club or bar, you probably grab a shot or two! You make your way over to them and it is as if she/he has been waiting on you all night, when you open your mouth and ask…

WILL YOU SLEEP WITH ME?

or

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

I know I know I know, Who in their right mind would do such a thing. Who would ask for something so intimate, so personal, so final, who would reach out to someone they dont know for a commitment, who would embarrass in such a foolish way, not to mention how the other person would feel… offended, angry, put off, and depending upon where you are and who that person is you might just hear a few choice words that i dare not mention here!

Yet, Christians ask these types of questions of perfect strangers every day. Christians have been asking perfect strangers to make life altering commitments of this nature without knowing a persons name for years. Allow me to explain, once again before you go all deep and get offended.

Jesus, was a relational God and Lord. God spent every day with Adam in the garden before “The Fall”. Jesus spent day and night with the disciples before instructing them to go out and teach the world about His Kingdom. Peter before his first sermon after Christ’s acension spent day and night praying with his congregation. Paul pitched in and made tents with the tent makers before he began to teach Christ and Christ crucified. Do you see a pattern developing here? I could go on if you need me to. There are countless examples throughout the bible of men and women of God, who developed relationships with people before they professed their love for God and His love for them.

All I’m saying is that we MUST, not try…  not see what we can do… not hope you can, but WE MUST DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE,  before we ask for any such commitment. We have to like Jesus, allow those around us to SEE the fruit of our FAITH before we pound their heads with the latest bible verse we memorized. Before we go and tell someone they are going to hell because they fornicate, or lie or steal or whatever they do, we must know them. To “know” them, is to become “intimate” with them.

Quick side note: Intimate or Intimacy has nothing to do with SEX. Get over it, open a dictionary. It is amazing how this word has become bastardized and misused to have anything to do with sex.

OK, back to where we were… I’m simply saying that we cannot afford to cause any more trepidation  concerning the Body of Christ. In case you have not noticed the attacks on the Church are doing fine without the Church going out and making it any worse.

Give it some thought.

Have you made friends with anyone outside of your circle lately? With someone who doesn’t look like you, or believe what you believe?

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