VISION NEW ENGLAND

“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  (Mt. 9:36)

The on-going effectiveness of our disciple-making “way of life” isn’t determined by a particular methodology that we follow, or a specific technique that we might apply, or an uptick in our efforts.  Instead, undergirded with prayer and empowered by the Holy Spirit, it flows directly out of having a heart that sees people the way that Jesus did.

As Christ-following disciple-makers, our lives will intersect with people who are at various stages along their own life’s journey.  In those intersecting moments, we may be called to extend an invitation to them, or we may be called to receive an invitation from them, to enter into their lives, right there, right where they are, and for a particular purpose. 

One of the critical things that we need to remember is that we are inviting people into our lives because we love them, and we want to share Christ’s love with them.  Our motivation is love, our purpose is love, our desire is to love.  As a result, as Jesus-following disciple-makers, we need to have (and continuously cultivate) certain heart “values” or heart “qualities” in the core of our very being.

As disciple-makers, we are to be people who possess hearts of generosity, hospitality, and servanthood; hearts that seek to identify connecting affinities with others; hearts that desire to share practical wisdom; hearts that are filled with compassion, and that want to be accessible to others.

Here are some examples of how these heart values actually manifest themselves through us:

• Generosity – giving of our time, food, funds, clothing, toys, lawn-care equipment, etc…
• Hospitality – opening our home, opening our yard, inviting them to (and buying for them) breakfast/lunch/dinner/coffee, etc…
• Servanthood – offering to babysit, shop, do chores, do house-keeping, repair something, etc... 
• Connecting Affinity – connecting with them through “shared” interests, such as hobbies, sports, books, music/concerts, food, outdoor activities, etc…
• Practical wisdom (counsel/advice) – offering to share advice from our experiences, sharing our knowledge of something, counseling them through a difficult situation, etc...
• Compassion – Providing comfort, support and encouragement, seeking to care for a physical need, an emotional need, and/or a relational need.
• Accessibility – Being in their lives, being available to ‘serve’ them, being there when they need us.

These are just some of the many, many ways that our heart values manifest themselves through our actions and our words as we reach into the lives of others with the love and message of Jesus Christ.

If we are going to authentically model Jesus’ disciple-making way of life, we need to learn how to become (and how to continue to be) people who are generous, hospitable, servants, able to identify affinities (that connect to others), “life” counselors, compassionate caregivers, and accessible.

QUESTION - Are these the kind of heart 'values' that you are currently pursuing?

(a blog posting by Keith Tolley, Vision New England)