Let’s not be Unreachable

We’ve all heard those sermons on reaching the reachable. They make me angry. Who am I to try to define who is and isn’t reachable. When would I be wasting time on someone when my care is true? It’s never made sense to me. Those sermons about what kind of ground you’re “throwing” the seed of God’s Word on. Evaluating whether or not people are reachable shouldn’t be our concern. It should be the Holy Spirit’s concern. Instead let’s focus on making sure that we are reachable. I understand how we want to keep ourselves pure and separate- blameless. But perhaps in taking this too far, we’ve made ourselves unreachable. We dress all up in our Sunday best. We say it’s for God, but does God really care? We talk a certain way and use words and terms that may be confusing. We keep our blogs and conversations bright and sunny, full of joy and blessings. I worry sometimes that those who may be searching, see Christians who seem to have it all figured out and rather than being inspired to figure out what they have and seek it out, they are put off and ashamed to approach them. Or sometimes they may just think they are lying.

It’s true I’ve spoken about the Christians who turn people away with their anger and judgement, but this is about the ones who turn them away with their constant projected perfection. If we aren’t willing to falter in front of them and get back up, how can they think they could ask us how? If they think that we never suffer, how can they come to us and expect us to empathize? If they never see us struggle, how can we expect them to come to us to ask advice on how to get through it? The Holy Spirit changes hearts and mind, and makes the reachable find us. So instead of focusing on how to reach the reachable, let’s focus on how to be reachable.

Today one of my clients wanted to read the New Testament with me. I’m not allowed to speak of religion unless the family brings it up. What a blessing for him to come to me wanting to talk about Jesus and the Bible. The reachable will find you if you make your life a testimony. Jesus gave us life and life more abundant. The ups and down are life. Let’s make sure we show the whole process, because there’s no true failure in failing but in not getting back up.