Day 232: Saving Someone

I love it when people come to Jesus because they understand how much they matter to God, suddenly their perspective on people around them changes, too. For the first time in their lives they see people differently, they see that people really matter. They matter to God. They matter as treasures God created. They matter to that person who's just discovered God's grace.

It's disappointing though, when followers of Christ begin to see their friends as walking targets, a bull's eye target to faith-wrestle to their knees, so they can be "saved". People can tell when the friendship is motivated by pure love that is curious, genuinely interested and invested. And, people can tell when the "friendship" is about completing a soul-saving objective. When that happens the Christ-follower listens less, asks fewer questions and presents more persuasive monologues around church and faith. That's disappointing to me. And frustrating for people who really matter to God, but think they only matter if they see it the way of the Christian friend.

It is my intent that the people at Radiant Fellowship will genuinely invest out of a sincere, personal curiosity about their friend's life. Period. And, it's those kinds of friendships that allow us to extend a personal invitation to join us on a journey that is marking our life. This becomes an invitation that addresses the shared journey between friends, the already voiced questions and concerns that make the invitation to a church service a common sense next step between two people who really care about each other.

There's no bull's eye on that friend's chest.

And people can tell.