As we continue the topic of weaving Gospel threads into our lives, today I want to venture into those connections that you have with others on a regular basis. But before I do that, it strikes me that I should probably explain a bit about what I mean when I say "weaving Gospel threads."
As you interact with people in your life, the language and vocabulary you use speaks greatly about you as a person. Since many of you who read this are Christian, the language and vocabulary that you use in your interactions are means by which you can weave Gospel threads into the lives of others. But what do I mean by this? Do I mean that you should work Jesus into every conversation? While that would be a commendable thing, let's look at something even more basic.
Every interaction you have with others is a chance to demonstrate your faith in God. Some can be more overt than others. Consider this: you go to pick up your morning coffee from the barista. Why not weave a Gospel thread through something like the following. "Thanks, this will help me enjoy the beautiful day God has given us." You've woven a Gospel thread there. Sure, it's not explicitly a Christian Gospel thread, but you've created a moment where your faith in God is present.
Think of that as a single thread. Now, you carry that thread with you throughout the day. As you order your lunch, what about another thread to weave? As you pick up your food, something simple like this could weave another thread. "Thank God that He takes care of what I need every meal." Another Gospel thread has been woven.
As you weave these threads, one of the things that I believe will happen is that you will have regular encounters with some people. So sure, that thread where you simply thanked God for a beautiful day doesn't seem like much all by itself. But the next day, you're back at the same barista for your coffee. How about another Gospel thread? "The tastebuds God gave me sure love this cup of coffee. Thanks for making it." And then the next day, "I'm thankful to God that my morning includes getting coffee from you." Thread upon thread upon thread.
What happens when enough threads unite? You start to form something. A few threads don't make a blanket, but as you start to weave enough threads together, you start to get something that has some substance. And, as you can imagine, you can be pretty creative with these Gospel threads. In fact, I encourage you to think of how many different ways you can weave those threads. Make some more explicit than others. Let some be fairly generic. But start working at them, and then see if you don't start looking for opportunities to weave those threads into your daily life more and more frequently.
As you interact with people in your life, the language and vocabulary you use speaks greatly about you as a person. Since many of you who read this are Christian, the language and vocabulary that you use in your interactions are means by which you can weave Gospel threads into the lives of others. But what do I mean by this? Do I mean that you should work Jesus into every conversation? While that would be a commendable thing, let's look at something even more basic.
Every interaction you have with others is a chance to demonstrate your faith in God. Some can be more overt than others. Consider this: you go to pick up your morning coffee from the barista. Why not weave a Gospel thread through something like the following. "Thanks, this will help me enjoy the beautiful day God has given us." You've woven a Gospel thread there. Sure, it's not explicitly a Christian Gospel thread, but you've created a moment where your faith in God is present.
Think of that as a single thread. Now, you carry that thread with you throughout the day. As you order your lunch, what about another thread to weave? As you pick up your food, something simple like this could weave another thread. "Thank God that He takes care of what I need every meal." Another Gospel thread has been woven.
As you weave these threads, one of the things that I believe will happen is that you will have regular encounters with some people. So sure, that thread where you simply thanked God for a beautiful day doesn't seem like much all by itself. But the next day, you're back at the same barista for your coffee. How about another Gospel thread? "The tastebuds God gave me sure love this cup of coffee. Thanks for making it." And then the next day, "I'm thankful to God that my morning includes getting coffee from you." Thread upon thread upon thread.
What happens when enough threads unite? You start to form something. A few threads don't make a blanket, but as you start to weave enough threads together, you start to get something that has some substance. And, as you can imagine, you can be pretty creative with these Gospel threads. In fact, I encourage you to think of how many different ways you can weave those threads. Make some more explicit than others. Let some be fairly generic. But start working at them, and then see if you don't start looking for opportunities to weave those threads into your daily life more and more frequently.
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