Ephesians 1:15-19
That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Lately, I’ve been buying a lot of fabric from an online store called QuiltHome.com. This company has a massive inventory of beautiful fabrics, and they offer the best customer service I’ve experienced in a long time. On all orders over $50, shipping is free. They send out a weekly e-mail newsletter promoting their newest products and featuring some of their fabric designers. They have frequent drawings for as much as $50 in free merchandise. And every time I order something, I receive the package in record time… with a hand-written note from one of the sales representatives who has noted how pretty the fabric is and how much she hopes I will enjoy using it in a sewing project.
Last week, a shipment of fabric arrived from this company, and one of the items I had ordered was supposed to be a full yard of material… but I only received one half yard of this fabric. I called the company, and a sales representative apologized over and over and said, “We’ll send another yard of fabric out to you right away at no charge.” Sure enough… a couple of days later, another package arrived, along with another note of apology for the mix-up. There were so many apologies that I almost felt like *I* should apologize!
In our Christian living, I’m afraid we are not often very good at “Customer Service.” We are pretty good at bringing others “into the fold.” But once we pray for someone and persuade him/her to surrender to Jesus, we often do a poor job of following up with that person. And sometimes, the longer someone has been “in the church,” the worse this becomes. It’s as if we associate “tenure” with a level of faith and a person’s need for nurture. The longer someone has been a Christian, the less attention and care they need from fellow believers… or so we appear to believe.
Can I tell you something? The person who appears to “have it all together”… the one who seems to be loving, nurturing and encouraging others in Jesus’ name may be the very person who needs to be lifted in prayer, nurtured or encouraged the most! The person who never misses a Sunday sermon and attends Sunday school and Bible study may be the person who is most confused and burdened… the one who is desperate for God’s wisdom and intelligence – and some answers to difficult challenges and questions.
Let’s not assume that anyone else “has it together!” Let’s assume that every other person is just like us… in a constant state of growth. Let’s pray for others, nurture them, encourage them, and ask God to grant them His intelligence and focus… blessings and the extravagance of His work in all of us. Let’s look around and see who we need to bless and encourage in the name of Jesus… whether it’s the person with obvious and visible needs or the one we would deem the “consummate Christian.”
The time has come for us to practice the ultimate in “Christian Customer Service.” We must thank God for each new believer, and then make sure that his/her needs are continually met…through prayer, nurture, love and encouragement. Who needs to hear from you today? Who needs your prayers and your support? What sort of “Christian Customer Service Rep” are? There is room for all of us to improve in this department. Are you ready to do your part?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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