Intentional Investments - Jonathan Voos

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Intentional Investments

Loving your neighbor requires putting in effort.

Loving your neighbor requires effort

Dear reader,

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Take these two stories for example:

Chris

Chris grew up in a poor and broken family. He did not have much and often relied on the local church for food and resources. The church faithfully provided him with food and other material goods when he needed them.

But something was missing: No one at the church ever invested in Chris. The church was more than happy to meet Chris's material needs. But no one ever sought to get to know him personally.

This pattern persisted when Chris would attend church. Chris didn't always smell the best or have the nicest clothes—he could barely afford to eat. Sunday post-church lunch outings were never on the table for him. Even if he was invited, he couldn’t afford it and certainly wasn’t going to ask for help.

Now, Chris won’t go to church services. Sunday service messages don’t line up with his experience with Christians. After all, if Christians truly believe that loving your neighbor as yourself is one of the great commandments, why didn’t they care to get to know and love him?

Steven

Steven grew up in a non-religious family but otherwise came from a similar background as Chris. He says that when he first began attending church, he was quite poor and might not have smelled or looked the best. And like Chris, he often didn’t find himself included.

Steven realizes that he wasn’t hated by his fellow Christians. While they may have had some biases, he says that they probably didn’t even know they were excluding him. Steven did not take those exclusions to heart. But he understands why people like Chris might see these slights as hypocritical and lacking in love. As Steven put it: “We must make an effort as Christians to love everyone regardless of what they look like, what they wear, or what they believe.”

So, why are Chris and Steven’s stories so different?

Seeking the Lost

Although Chris refuses to attend church, he’ll go to work Bible studies like the one my fiancée and I’s small group leader attends—especially if there’s food involved. After a recent Bible study, one of Chris’s coworkers invited Chris over to his house. Chris replied, “You know, this is the first time in my life that someone has ever invited me to their home.” Chris is 27 years old. Can you imagine living for 27 years and not having anyone care about you enough to even invite you into their home?

I don’t know Chris. I don’t know how Chris interacts with people. I don’t know Chris’s heart. But I can’t help but think that if we looked at Chris through Christ’s eyes, none of those things would prevent us from trying to reach him. And to reach him, we first have to actually look.

Effort & Intentionality

After Steven became a Christian, he asked every day for God to introduce him to people who would transform his life. And God answered. Steven almost immediately found mentors and is actively attending Bible studies, searching for a church, and sharing the Gospel.

Steven will talk to anybody and actively seeks to initiate conversations with those who are excluded. He knows what it is like to feel left out, and knows the importance of investing in others like his mentors invested in him.

And here’s the key: Steven’s mentors invested in him. God used people in the church and his life to minister to Steven and bring him into the fold. And their investment has transformed him as a person.

Sure, Steven made things easier by boldly taking initiative. But as Chris’s story shows, not everyone is willing to take initiative. Many people won’t even start a conversation with a stranger at church—much less on the streets. But we must remember: Christ died for those people too. Romans 5:8.

Developing close relationships with others can be difficult. Many of us would do well to be less self-conscious and self-absorbed about socializing in church so that we can follow the example of Steven’s mentors and Chris’s coworker. As Steven’s story shows, God can work through people to transform someone’s life. Be one of those people! And see how God can use you when you intentionally love your neighbor as yourself.