Listen

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’”

Matthew 25:34-36

Think

I am a planner. I love thinking about an opportunity or issue and finding the best course forward. The first step in planning, I believe, is asking questions. What am I doing next? Why does it matter? Who can listen as I ask questions to find my next steps?

We start by thinking about those who make space for us. Alongside our text for today, our focus needs to shift. It is less about who made space for us—how we first encountered God’s love—and now more about what we’re doing to share that love with others. The move from one who receives love to one who gives it requires attention and intention.

Attention, our focus, shifts our intention, how we begin to act. Let’s, for today, linger in the in-between. While waiting to act, we need to pause and think. We must also turn toward God, wondering how we might be called to move to create welcoming spaces for others. Who in your life might need food? Who might need clothes? Who might need a visitor?

Daniel Potter

Question to Ponder:

Where can you begin creating space for others to feel welcome in the body of Christ?

Pray

As I move from receiving your love to sharing it, I need your help, God. Who around me needs to feel your love—to be fed, given drink, welcomed, clothed, cared for, or visited? Help me notice those around me who could benefit from the love that I have so freely received and that I long to share with others. Amen.

Go

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.”

“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” Refrain