Why Would I Go There?

I started a new job this week. For the past 19 years I've been self-employed, and that means that everything I've done to earn money has been done in the ways that I've wanted them done. Sometimes that worked out good and other times not so good, but that was how it was. Now I work for a company which makes, threads and coats pipe in a variety of sizes and lengths for the transporting of fluids of various kinds. (I'd tell you what kinds, but I'm still in the learning stage of my new job and don't know them all.)

found myself yesterday thinking about the men that I was meeting there and how they are really quite a bit different than the men I've been surrounding myself with for the last several years. And I don't mean different in a bad way either, everyone of them that I've met have been great, and I'm really excited getting to know them all. What I mean, is that for the past 20 plus years I have surrounded myself with men (and women for that matter) of like minds, you know Christians like me. (Well maybe not exactly "like" me, there really aren't too many people that are "like" me.)

I have been asking myself why did the people in the Bible like to be around Jesus? And would these men that I've been meeting want to be around me like that? And if not, why? And while I was thinking about these questions that led me to wonder what these guys would think about my church? Would they feel comfortable there? Would they understand what even was going on in the service during praise and worship, the teaching or the offering time? Would they understand the terminology that we as Christians tend to use? You know, those "christianeze" words we adopt into our vocabulary the longer we follow Christ?

This is not to say that I am embarrassed by my church or the people in it, because I'm not. I just think that maybe we are looking at the people in the world through a very different set of eyes than what the world looks at us (as Christians) with. One of the things that I have noticed in this new job environment is a different way of talking. The use of profanity is prolific to say the least. Now I'm not a prude, and I won't lie and say that I've never used any profanity, but it has definitely been an eye opener for me to hear four-letter words being thrown around all the time.

I'm sure that most of my Christian friends would be extremely uncomfortable around these guys I've met at work because of the cussing, yet I think my co-workers would be doubly uncomfortable around my Christian friends. Why do you ask? It's simple really, these guys "couldn't" relate to most Christians, because most Christians "wouldn't" relate to them. Let's face it, we love to pick on the Pharisees in the Bible, but aren't we just as bad when we refuse to relate with people who may seem a little bit rough around the edges or different than us? After all, doesn't the Bible say that rain falls on both the just and the unjust? (Matthew 5:45)

I think I know why all those people liked to spend time with Jesus (and it wasn't for the free happy meals and free medical either) people liked to be around Jesus because He could relate to where they were at. He didn't walk up to them with a holier than thou attitude (that's what the Pharisees did) and tell them to serve Him. No, he served them and ministered to them and that is why people wanted to be around Him.

Truthfully we have to ask ourselves, are we any better than the Pharisees when it comes to us relating with people that we meet in our everyday walk? The most important thing in this life are the relationships that we make. And we have also been commanded by our Lord Jesus to go out and make disciples. How long did it take Him to make those first twelve? He was only able to disciple them because He took the time to develop relationships with them.

Why then do we think that if we will just throw some Scripture at people we see, they will want to come and be a part of anything that we are doing? Really, they won't, they'll probably scratch their heads as they walk away and say, "Why would I go there?"

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!