We like comfort food. We keep old shoes to slip on as soon as we get in from work. Toss out that comfortable tee shirt, even though it has a stain on the hem and a hole in the sleeve? Not on your life. It’s the most comfortable we own.
We like the familiar. We like to be around people we know, restaurants we’ve visited before, and grocery stores where we can locate every item on every shelf. It’s the unfamiliar that makes our palms sweat and our stomach turn with dread.
Yet, if we want to truly be what God wants us to be, we have to cast off the familiar and step into the unknown.
Acts 18:2 tells of the Jews being kicked out of Rome. This was a hard time for early Christian Jews. They were forced to leave their homes, businesses, and friends. It seemed unfair.
Paul could have taken exception to the demands of Rome. In spite of being a Jew, he was a man with a pedigree, well educated, and a Roman citizen. He could have hidden behind his credentials. Instead, he welcomed and joined with people who had been expelled from the city.
We see Paul’s response:
“And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them.”
Paul gave them comfort food, familiar shoes, and an old tee to lounge in. Paul welcomed them, even joined them in their occupation as tentmakers.
Romans 12:1 tells us how Paul found the fortitude to think not of himself, but of others:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Paul thought more of those around him than he did the comforts of this life. He placed the needs of others above the needs of himself. Paul lived out the revelation he’d received from the Christ.
Our supreme example placing others’ needs first is found in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
God doesn’t tell us to do as he says. Rather, he expects us to do as he did. He gave his most precious possession that we might find salvation.
When we find people who are hurting and lonely, perhaps thrown away by their families, and unable to cope with the perils of life, let’s be a Paul. Let’s be the familiar arm across their shoulders, and the warm voice of welcome.
Sometimes it’s by stepping out of our comfort zone that we can help draw others into the comfort zone of Christ. That’s what our Christian walk is all about. Let’s do it today.
Pulling down the walls we’ve built for protection enables us to reach out to help those who need us most.
Copyright © 2016 MyChurchNotes.net
Originally Published 5-09-16