PathFinder Ministries

Sharing Your Purpose by Joining Others

A - "You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things." ~ Mother Teresa

S - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8

A - As you continue to share yourself and your purpose with others, I pray that you are asking God to bring people into your life that you can join right where they are.

What are you trying to build by loving, influencing and serving others? Relationships; rapport and trust. Why are these relationships important? One, is because God created you for fellowship with others. You were not intended to live just for yourself. Secondly, in developing rapport and trust by loving, being a godly example to and serving others, you can ultimately be a witness to them, especially if they are not already believers. In order to do that, you must be willing to meet and join people right where they are in life - just like Jesus did!

One of the many amazing things about Jesus is that He didn't wait around for people to get their lives right, to get themselves "cleaned up", be problem-free, be someone He'd be proud to associate with, before He began to minister to them. Jesus established intimacy with people quickly. He was approachable and He wanted people to know it.

Let's look at just a few examples. Take time to read the passages to get the full story......The Disciples (Matt. 4: 18-22 and Matt. 9:9) If you know much about this group of men, you know they were a colorful combination of personalities, backgrounds and ideas. Jesus was not looking for the most educated, cultured, classy, handsome, or sophisticated people to carry out His ministry. He found them right where they were in life and asked them to join Him. Little did they know who their lives would be changed forever! Feeding the 5000 (Matt. 14: 13-31) In this familiar story, Jesus has just learned that His cousin, John the Baptist, has been beheaded. He attempts to go off to a private place to grieve, but nonetheless, the people find him and He ministers to them in a BIG way. What would your response to the crowd have been? Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) Jesus went out of his way to find one man who needed Him the most. How would you have treated a man of Zaccaeus' reputation? The Samaritan Woman (John 4: 4-26) Jesus could not have chosen a more controversial woman to strike up a conversation with than this one! She was one who was shunned by others in her town, talked about behind her back and looked down upon by the "religious" people of her day. Are there women in your life who can relate to her story?

These are just a few of the people who Jesus chose to join right where they were and to share His unique purpose with them. He chose to ask the common, non-influential men to be a part of His ministry. He chose to join and give of Himself to thousands of people even when He was tired and grieving. He looked up in a tree and found a "sinner" who needed forgiveness and He restored the life of a lonely woman by offering her living water. There were many who were healed, raised from the dead, had their sins forgiven and their lives made new because Jesus took the time to look past their imperfections.

P - Are you willing and able to share love and minister with others who may not meet all your expectations and criteria? As today's verse states - God did not wait for us to have our act together before He sent His Son to die for us! Ask God to search your heart about how you can be doing a better job at meeting, accepting and joining others where they are. Look past their outward issues and know God can do a work in them, through you!

Next Time.....Witnessing to Others