Our organization is in the process of seeking a new President and I had to attend the meeting in Frankfurt to be part of the team to take interview of the candidates for eight days. The meeting was very interesting but I almost died because I am not at all good with board etc. I am comfortable meeting my church folks and spending time with them. So when I came back home I went to visit three families in their homes to pray and talk to them. Let me just give you three examples. I am not writing this to blow my own trumpet but just examples to let us remind ourselves that we need to spend more time among the people to whom we are called to serve.
My first visit took me to our former Hindu neighbor’s home. The lady of the house had come to meet us at our church. The moment she saw me she burst into tears and began to tell me her story. Her husband had duped her into signing a divorce paper and gone away leaving two teenagers and with no money. Her daughter is reading the Bible and consoling her mother. Once they were millionaires but now they are bankrupt. They lost a huge amount of money in stock market. We had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with her and the family. They have expressed desire to meet with us more often and hear what we have to say about the Lord Jesus.
My second visit took us to a family of our church. This is a poor family but now is going through both tears of joy and sorrow. The church has placed the family in discipline because one of the daughters’s got pregnant out of wedlock and now has given birth to a premature child. Even though they are under discipline we went to their home to visit the 14 year old mother and the new born child. We felt that this was important as no one is far from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ even though we continue to keep the family under discipline for some time.
My third visit took us to meet an old lady who is dying in a few days. She is suffering with some kind of incurable nerves disease. It was a tragedy to see her waiting for death to come as quickly as possible. She is a believer and so wants to be with her Lord. We prayed and consoled her.
Beloved when I write these I am humbly emphasizing the importance of meeting the needs of the people is priority of any Christian leader. We as leaders of the church need to move among our hurting people.
Jesus became effective in His outreach because he healed the sick, delivered the demon possessed and just was with the people to help them at all times. Study the New Testament and see how wonderfully this truth comes out in His life and ministry. Even the disciples were always moving and living among the people so that they could identify with their joy and sorrow. There are enumerable examples in the Bible.
The function of the church is not to be merely a religious institution but to be people of the people. The church lives, works, witnesses and serves the people of the community at all times. We are to be 24/7 where needy people are.
I recently heard of a pastor who took pride in saying something like this ‘I do not visit people in their homes because I do not want to know all their petty problems but just want to preach’ I was shocked to hear this because the petty problem are precious point of being with people and mitigating the hurt and pain of the people.
Well next time when you have a choice to go to a meeting or visit a hurting family perhaps you will know what you need to do. I know what I will do.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your willingness to come to earth to be where we are. You lived and moved among us so that we would know who you are. We love you for all that you have done for us on the cross. We pray that just like you we may always be there for those especially who need us at any time of their needs.
Republished in new layout on 8/20/2013
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