So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
–1 Thessalonians 2:8
I remember when I was a young preacher and was getting my start preaching revivals in little churches out in West Texas. There was one little town where I preached and I was staying with one of the church members. When I woke up one morning, he was sitting at the kitchen table and asked me what I wanted for breakfast.
“No thanks,” I said, “I never eat before I preach because it fills me up and slows me down.” Not only that, I didn’t have time to sit and talk over breakfast because I had to prepare for my sermon. So we went to the service, I preached, and we were headed back to his place after church. He was really quiet, so I asked him, “What did you think of the sermon?”
“Preacher,” the man said, “You really wanna know?” I said, “Yes, of course.” He just looked at me and said, “You shoulda eaten.”
That day, I learned a powerful lesson. Not just that I needed to eat before I preached, but that connecting with people is just as important as sharing God’s truth with them. So don’t just look at people as a project. Spend time with them and love them. When you do, you’ll love the lost into the Kingdom and the saved into a greater likeness of Christ!
HELP OTHERS BE TRANFORMED INTO CHRISTLIKENESS BY BOTH SPENDING TIME WITH THEM AND SHARING GOD’S TRUTH!
