This week we're going to talk about investing and inviting. At Cross-Work we want to invest into other people, and we want to invite people to join us on this mission.
Jesus commissioned his followers to “go and make disciples,” and here at Cross-Work Church we are going to take that call seriously. That means we are not just going to make converts. We are going to actually make disciples. We want to bring people alongside us, help them to seriously count the cost of following Jesus, and call them to repentance.
When Jesus came, he called people to follow him, and they walked side-by-side for three years. He showed them how to do ministry and really just how to live in a way that glorifies God. We want to do the same thing, but this means it is going to be costly. People will see the good, bad, and ugly sides of your life. Knowing that someone will see all of these sides of your life can make finding someone to invest in difficult, so I hope I can help by telling you what I look for in someone. I look for someone that is FAT. I don’t mean that they are a large person, but that they are faithful, available and teachable.
Faithful means they are loyal, and they will keep their commitments. This one is difficult for me, not like I have a hard time being faithful, but I have a hard time saying that someone isn’t. I understand that stuff comes up and maybe they miss a meeting every once in a while, but when they develop a habit of missing or you start to notice a pattern in them not showing up, they probably aren’t faithful. Finding someone who is faithful is important because we really don’t have time to waste. We need to be focused on people that aren’t going to waste our time.
Available means they are available when you are available. In America we have a hard time resting, and we tend to pack our schedules so full that we don’t have time for the things that matter most. When we are investing in people if they aren’t available because they’ve packed their schedule, you might need to have a hard conversation about how they aren’t really available like they think they are. Availability also just plays a part in your schedule as well. If you’re going to invest in someone, you need to make sure and schedule that time. It is important, and it can be anything: shopping, making dinner, and working out all are good times for that, and I’m sure you can think of many more examples. These are good times because who you are investing in will get a good example of how you follow Jesus in day-to-day life.
Lastly, find someone who is teachable. This is hard for a lot of people because we don’t like being told when we are doing something wrong. Someone who is teachable will take criticism and act on it. Someone who is not teachable will complain, create excuses, and pout about being told they messed up. These are almost always the hardest conversations to have, but if someone is not teachable, you are wasting your time, and as I said before, we don’t have time to waste.
As we are investing in people, we also want to be inviting them to things we are doing. Hopefully you are not just investing in people in the church, while that is important, you should also find people to invest in outside of the church. Investing in unbelievers is just as costly, but when you have the opportunity to walk with someone from death to life, there is nothing more rewarding. Then we also have the opportunity within those relationships to invite them to church and send them to do the same thing. This is how we make a kingdom impact on the world we live in.
Trevor Cowan