A Year with Jesus

Note from Jesus

Dear Disciple,

If you are going to put "first things first," then what are these "first things" you must do with your friends and family?

I know each of your relationships is unique. The history you have with friends and family can make relationships easy, quirky, difficult, confusing, and a host of all sorts of other things. So when I was asked about the two greatest commands in the Scriptures, I tried to make things very clear: Love God with all you are and love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:36-40).

Your "first things" with your friends and family should be clear: Love God and love them.

After I had been baptized by John the Baptist, he began to point his disciples to Me. He wanted them to follow Me. One of those who followed Me first was a fellow who eventually becomes one of My twelve apostles. His name was Andrew. Andrew was always bringing people to meet me (John 6:5-9; John 12:20-22). This focus of Andrew's life began immediately after he realized Who I AM. The first thing he did after spending time with Me was to go and find his brother, Simon Peter, and bring him to meet Me.

One of the ways you put "first things first" with friends and family is to do what Andrew did: you bring them to Me. You don't have to convince them of anything. Share why you have hope in Me (1 Peter 3:15-16). Then, with gentleness and respect, help them come to Me and learn more about me. You don't have to answer all of their questions. You shouldn't criticize them for not following me. Just simply invite them to come and see Who I AM for themselves. Invite them to decide what they believe they should do with Me.

One of the reasons the Father gave you four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in your New Testament - is to tell the story of My life so that you would have a way of inviting people to come and to get to know about Me. So I want to challenge you to let first things be first. Love the Father with all that you are. Love your friends, family, and neighbors as you love yourself. Let these two principles overlap and invite those you love to come and meet Me! It won't necessarily be easy, but I will help you know what to say, when to say it, and how to share the invitation. Who knows, one of your friends or family members just may be someone waiting for you to be like Andrew!

Verses to Live

Andrew could invite his brother to meet Me physically. You can invite your friends and family to meet Me by reading John or Mark or Luke or Matthew with you. You don't have to know the answers to all of their questions; just be a friend and an example to them of how I love them!

The following day John [the Baptist] was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!" When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them.

They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"

"Come and see," he said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ").

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, son of John - but you will be called Cephas" (which means "Peter").
(John 1:35-42 NLT)

Response in Prayer

O Father, there are precious people in my life who I want so desperately to know Jesus. I ask that the Holy Spirit give me the wisdom to know the right moment, the best way, and the most helpful attitude to reach their hearts. Use me, please dear Father, to invite them to Jesus, in Whose name I pray. Amen.