Devotional 5-29-15

Thinking out of the Box

Read Romans 8:12-17

We have been given the Spirit, and we are to give that spirit to others.  So who are the others? Are they the ones sitting next to us in the pews, in Sunday school, the person that missed the service because they were out of town?  No, they are the ones not in any of those places.  They are the ones that don't know God, that have not found the love of Christ and are not filled with the Spirit.  But how do we show them God, the love of Christ or the Spirit?  Our church and most churches are seeking that answer.  Well, I don't have the answer, but the answer is out there, and it may be by thinking out of the box.

Recently I met the Pastor of several small churches in the Portsmouth area.  During our conversation we discussed the growth of the church or the lack thereof.  And to that he made a comment about one of the churches he pastors.  He mentioned that it was growing but not because of anything he necessarily said or did.  He said it was the younger aged members of the church that "he couldn't keep up with," and that he had learned he needed to keep out of their way and let the Spirit lead them. Then I thought of the bible studies that we have recently had at JM -- one by Rev. Mike Slaughter, and others by Rev. Adam Hamilton.  In those studies one of the messages was that we need to be thinking box of the box to reach those not inside the walls of our churches.  That to full fill the great commission to "love our neighbor as we love ourselves" and to be the disciples we are called to be, we have to take the message to those outside our walls.  We have to think-out-side-the-box; we have to get out of the way of anyone that may have an idea to do just that. We may just have to change tradition.

Prayer:
Come Holy Spirit come, fill me, feed me, show me, lead me.  Come Holy Spirit, show me how to spread the Love of our God and that of Christ Jesus to those that do not know.  Help me get out of the way.  Amen.