"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Jesus, as recorded in John 12:32.
We've all known that person who just seemed to draw a crowd to themselves. They had something about them that just seemed to attract others to them. And, truth be told, we've all probably had those moments where we had a bit of envy toward them. We wonder why we can't naturally draw people to us the way that they are able. They seem to naturally converse with others. They seem to set people at ease. People actually like to be around them, and look for opportunities to be around them.
It's not a stretch at all to say that Jesus was like this. When you read through the Gospel accounts, you find that people were coming to hear Jesus, and people were generally saying good things about Him. And then, in the verse we have above, we also see that Jesus is eventually going to draw all people to Himself. Everyone in this world will eventually stand before Him, on the day of judgment, and will be drawn to Him, whether they want to or not.
But as we await that day, I want to put a different thought before you. How well do you draw? How well do you draw others to yourself? And right there, some of you might stop reading. You might not want to draw others to yourself. You may comfort yourself by saying that you are an introvert or something along those lines, but really, that's no excuse. You really do want others to notice you and to like you, you just may find that you aren't as comfortable in doing that as other people seem to be.
Here is where this also hits us as Christians. How well do you draw others to yourself, because, when you bear the name of Jesus, what you do is what also gets associated with Jesus. If you are a Christian and you avoid others, those others will inevitably think the same of Jesus. As Christians, we aren't called to live lives of isolation. Instead, just as Jesus was sent to draw people to Himself, we are also sent to draw people to Jesus.
So how well do you draw? It might not be the most natural thing, but you know what? It doesn't have to be dynamic or anything like that. In fact, I would even suggest that you start off by choosing one person that is newer to you, and taking a genuine interest in their life. When you get down to it, that's actually the heart of what makes you a drawing person. You are interested in others. You ask questions about them. You want to see them, and to spend time with them. They are drawn to that.
Who is there that is newer at your local body of believers that you can work to draw to Jesus by drawing them to yourself? Simply start showing an interest in them that isn't just superficial, but that truly wants to get to know them. You might even just find that others start to see you as one of those people who seem to draw others as you grow in thise!
We've all known that person who just seemed to draw a crowd to themselves. They had something about them that just seemed to attract others to them. And, truth be told, we've all probably had those moments where we had a bit of envy toward them. We wonder why we can't naturally draw people to us the way that they are able. They seem to naturally converse with others. They seem to set people at ease. People actually like to be around them, and look for opportunities to be around them.
It's not a stretch at all to say that Jesus was like this. When you read through the Gospel accounts, you find that people were coming to hear Jesus, and people were generally saying good things about Him. And then, in the verse we have above, we also see that Jesus is eventually going to draw all people to Himself. Everyone in this world will eventually stand before Him, on the day of judgment, and will be drawn to Him, whether they want to or not.
But as we await that day, I want to put a different thought before you. How well do you draw? How well do you draw others to yourself? And right there, some of you might stop reading. You might not want to draw others to yourself. You may comfort yourself by saying that you are an introvert or something along those lines, but really, that's no excuse. You really do want others to notice you and to like you, you just may find that you aren't as comfortable in doing that as other people seem to be.
Here is where this also hits us as Christians. How well do you draw others to yourself, because, when you bear the name of Jesus, what you do is what also gets associated with Jesus. If you are a Christian and you avoid others, those others will inevitably think the same of Jesus. As Christians, we aren't called to live lives of isolation. Instead, just as Jesus was sent to draw people to Himself, we are also sent to draw people to Jesus.
So how well do you draw? It might not be the most natural thing, but you know what? It doesn't have to be dynamic or anything like that. In fact, I would even suggest that you start off by choosing one person that is newer to you, and taking a genuine interest in their life. When you get down to it, that's actually the heart of what makes you a drawing person. You are interested in others. You ask questions about them. You want to see them, and to spend time with them. They are drawn to that.
Who is there that is newer at your local body of believers that you can work to draw to Jesus by drawing them to yourself? Simply start showing an interest in them that isn't just superficial, but that truly wants to get to know them. You might even just find that others start to see you as one of those people who seem to draw others as you grow in thise!
That is a tough one.....often the flattery and praise of others can give us a big head, so it is important to remain genuinely humble, focused on our work, and be an encourager to others.
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