By Nancy Bouwens
In the fast-paced world we live in, a “me first” outlook often takes center stage wherever we are. You may encounter it in a public setting, your workplace, school, church, or behind the doors of your own home.
“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” – Romans 15:7 (ESV)
No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, we are all called to live in such a way that we are living, breathing examples of who Christ is to the world around us. I believe God is continually whispering an invitation to live differently and to open our hearts in a way that speaks His love and life to whomever He brings into our lives.
The Power of Actions
We’ve all heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Nowhere is this more evident than in our choice to make room in our lives for those who are different from us. When we extend a genuine welcome to someone, especially someone who might not fit our usual social circle, we’re sending a powerful message of acceptance and value. We can choose to light up the corner of our world by our presence and by simply saying, “I see you, you matter, and you are welcome.” When it comes to making room in our lives for someone who’s not quite like us, those actions practically shout from the rooftops!
Learning from the Ultimate Welcome Wagon
If we take a page from Jesus’ book, we see He welcomed everyone – I mean everyone! The tax collector, the woman who’d made some mistakes, the loud ones, and the messy ones. He didn’t say, “Clean up your act and then we’ll talk.” No, He simply said, “Come on in,” and that’s when the magic happened.
Jesus knew that people need to feel accepted and valued before they can grow or change. He never demanded that people change before coming to Him; instead, He invited them in, and it was through that relationship that transformation occurred.
“Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.” – Henri Nouwen
A Little Soul-Searching
A question that may challenge our status quo and make us a little (or a lot) uncomfortable is: Are we so busy “being Christian” that we forget to be Christ-like? It’s a challenging thought, but if we allow ourselves to sit with it for a moment, we might wonder, how often do we put up walls of judgment instead of extending a welcome to come closer?
Spreading the Welcome Everywhere We Go
How do we live differently? How do we create these little pockets of welcome wherever life takes us? Perhaps it’s really listening to the person next to us in line at the grocery store or smiling at the neighbor who always seems to be a bit cross. It could be as simple as sending a text to that friend who’s been on your mind or writing a letter to someone far away. It may be stepping out of your comfort zone in a million ways. The good news is hard things make us grow. The flip side of that is also, hard things are, well… hard!
The Beautiful Feeling of Belonging
Do you remember a time when someone made you feel like you truly belonged? Wasn’t it amazing? That feeling is like a warm hug for the soul, and guess what? When we intentionally make time for others in our lives, it not only impacts them but changes us too.
A Challenge for the Week Ahead
This week, I invite you to ask God to open your eyes to opportunities and creative ideas for being and becoming someone who, on purpose, looks for ways to live a life of welcome in the everyday, ordinary moments of life.
Has God ever used someone’s welcome to touch your heart? Or have you seen what your own open arms can do?
I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. Let’s encourage each other as we step into this wonderful way of being and doing life.
Remember, you’re loved, you’re valued, and you’ve got a world of welcome to offer. Let’s do this together!