Who are You Inviting to the Table?

Do you remember the feeling of waiting for your name to get called to be on a team? It would sometimes start with kids screaming that “so and so” should be captain because they seemed to be a leader, were well-liked, good at the game, or at least everyone thought they were good at the game.

Some of the best days were when the person in charge told you that you were captain because you did not have to worry about being the last one picked to be on a team. I want to think there were three different types of people in this case:

1️⃣ The confident ones who know they are going to get picked first (or near the top).

2️⃣ The ones that think or know they’ll get picked somewhere in the middle.

3️⃣ The group that knows they have no chance at all, those who know they’re going to be one of, if not the last one picked.

For most of us, we tend to do the same thing with those surrounding us. We pick who we want on our team. There is wisdom in entrusting your life to a handful of people. There is also wisdom in choosing not to allow certain people in your inner circle.

Community is a crucial component of growing in our relationship with one another and with God. We are sharpened and molded by those around us. However, what are we doing to make sure that we are not just growing comfortable in the way we demonstrate love, that we’re not only demonstrating it to our inner circle, who are the ones most natural for us to love? In the moments where we become aware that we are using the people in our lives for our gain and not for building one another up or sharing the Gospel with the world around us, then we must break that bubble of only desiring to be around our “inner elite.”

John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

In many ways, I have been more self-serving in my way of thinking. I have noticed I can live my life more out of convenience than obedience. It is easier to walk into a grocery store and get my needs rather than looking for the needs of others. It is easier to save up for myself than to give to others. Something that seems so elementary and so simple can be a struggle for me. It needs to be a conscious choice on my end.

It is time to break what is comfortable in our lives. We must ask ourselves, are we building up a world for ourselves that is out of comfort, convenience, or prestige? We see throughout the Bible that it is the opposite of how we should be living as Christians.

The Gospel is not just for our inner circle of friends and us. It is for everyone. We have a unique opportunity to invite others into what God is doing in our lives. It could be as simple as inviting a neighbor, stranger, or even a family member over to build a friendship. We get to be used by God in such a unique way.

Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

We get to share the goodness of God. He is self-sufficient, but He allows us to join in the work that He is doing. The question even remains for me: Who am I going to intentionally reach out to enjoy a meal with that I would never?

God prepares an open table for us to join in on the work He is doing in people’s lives. Some even may be far from God, but it starts with a relationship. We can begin today by inviting others in, building relationships, hearing each other’s stories, and watching what God does within. God is our captain. He has chosen us to go out into the world and make disciples. Let us not be comfortable with our faith. Standing for truth will come at a cost, but in the end, it is worth it. Jesus is an excellent example of how we should live. Let us reflect on His life today!