Hello, my name is Beth!
Have you ever been in a situation where you are the new kid on the block? The new girl at school? The new couple at church? The newcomer to the gym? You might feel a bit uncomfortable; you feel like all eyes are on you.
“Who is that?”
“Who are they?”
“What’s their story?”
Well I can say yes, I have experienced all the above. Even to the point of asking God to have someone come forward and just say “hello.”
Our God is a welcoming God. He welcomes anyone and everyone who believes in Jesus into his family. With Jesus as our example, we should never be shy about welcoming others. Whether it’s welcoming friends into our homes, visitors into our church, or saying hello and chatting with the clerk at the grocery store, Christians should display the welcoming attitude of Christ.
Galatians 3:28 says “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This shows God’s welcoming attitude. It says we are to welcome all people, even if they are different from us.
My husband and I did some traveling last year. Over the course of that year we visited nine churches! Wow… I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone! Going to a new church can be very intimidating. Sometimes we tend to forget just how intimidating it can be. We were reminded every time we tried out a new church. The greeters at the doors were friendly and warm, but once you got inside it was a little uncomfortable. You just didn’t know how it was going to go. If this might be a church with friendly people who make you feel like you’ve gone there for years or if you will be simply overlooked.
If we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, shouldn’t we welcome people into his church? Invite them to different activities at the church so they can get to know others and feel more comfortable?
I had a revelation just the other day about loving the unlovable. It took me to Matthew 5:46-48, “for if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing then others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
It’s pretty easy to welcome and love those who are like us, but what about those who are so different that they aren’t even believers? Welcoming people who have nothing in common with us -being friendly and kind to them- should be one of the distinguishing marks of Christians!
So, I am going to put my best foot forward. I am going to stop being shy, extend my hand and say, “Hi, my name is Beth!” Will you join me and be the someone who reaches out and says, “hello”?
Beth Nahkala
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#bethnahkalablogs
