Neighboring Practice: People of Peace

Is all this just a ploy to tell people about Jesus? The answer is no! Or maybe, loving our neighbors and inviting them into community IS telling them about Jesus. Ultimately, our hope is for everyone to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus, but it can’t be some ulterior motive for love.

Jesus gave us a strategy we call looking for people of peace. God is already at work in our neighborhoods, and as we go loving everyone, we look for people who are open for more. So the pressure's not on us to make something happen. We don’t love people so they will know Jesus; we love them because we know Jesus.

THIS WEEK (and every week!): Ask the Spirit to open your eyes to the people of peace around you and pay attention for opportunities. Release the pressure to force anything and lean into the people who are receptive to you.

As this series comes to end, remember the goal of practicing is not just to do a few good things once a year, but to ingrain ourselves into a way of life that looks like Jesus -- that looks like love. Everyone gets to play!