Hey, Are You Approachable?

On April 20th of this year, I put the following on my Facebook author page:

“People are hurting. People are searching. People are looking to others for answers. We need to be approachable and be ready with answers that point them to the goodness of God.”

It was one of the more popular posts on my page. Do you know why? My guess is because it is true and people know it. 

The heart is a tender thing. It may sound cliche, but unfortunately, it is true. How many times have you thought your heart might crack and crumble into dust? Harsh words, broken relationships, loss of a loved one: those things leave marks. Even deeper, more traumatic hurts scar us thoroughly. Living in this world, we will be affected.

World Population Review website shows 7,874,309,535 (and counting) people on earth. That is quite a bit of damaged people. People walking around hurting and hurting others because of their pain.

Friends, we have to be part of a different kind of people. Approachable people. The kind of people that hurting, damaged people want to come to for help. We must be compassionate, non-judgmental, and humble. The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control must be our lifestyle for people to know we are truly followers of Jesus. Hurting people do not want to be hurt anymore by anyone.

There is a simple solution. We have to be real to people. Real stories of who we are, where we have been, what we have learned, how we get through, and where we are heading. Real in the way we live. One of the worst things we can do is to appear perfect, like we have it all together. Because we do not, and no one here on earth does. Honoring God our Father with our words and actions is vital. This is so important because people are watching. They also need to know that although any one of us may stumble, Jesus loves us and helps us back up with love and forgiveness.   

I have a friend I met while waiting tables at a local restaurant. It took a while for her to trust me, but when she did, she shared she was hesitant about religion because of the actions of people who talk about God and church but acted horribly. She saw something different in me. What she saw was the Fruit of the Spirit. Unfortunately, (or was it?) she also saw times where the stress of the job got the best of me. I cringe thinking about how some of the situations got the best of me, but it was a growing experience for both of us.  

If we have any chance of reaching people, we must accept them where they are. I know where I came from, and for me, it did not happen overnight. Loving, kind, patient people spent time with me. They nurtured me, taught me, and helped me see I could not continue to live in my sin. What they did not do was beat me over the head with it. They shared what they could. Knowing Father God would work in me to make changes, they stepped back and allowed Him. I also learned from their example. 

On the opposite side of this, if you are hurting and need healing or have questions, and friends, this can be anyone, Jesus follower or not, find someone you trust and are comfortable with, and be as transparent as you can with them. This is not just anybody, but someone you know to be tried and true. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 15-20, Jesus tells us to identify people the way we identify a tree–by its fruit. Remember, a healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. Examples of good fruits are the Fruit of the Spirit. I am not saying this person will have all the answers, but he or she can help and direct you to the One who does. This is where freedom begins. 

Let’s rise above the norm and be there for the hurting and lost. The best thing we can do for anybody is to point them to Jesus. 

Okay friends, keep it real, keep it simple, and let Jesus do the rest. God bless!