Show Up
It all begins with an idea.
Just sit there.
It’s hard. I know.
People are in pain. People are confused. People are insane and the desire to fix it, offer advice or offer platitudes rages on the tip of your tongue.
But don’t.
Resist.
You’d be amazed by how far it goes to be Christ-like.
Of course, there’s a time and season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9). There is indeed a time to preach, teach, prophecy, evangelize, apostle-lize(???). I’m not downplaying the necessity of ministry gifts.
PLEASE. Use them!
But use them when appropriate.
You’d be amazed by how far the silence of Christ’s presence can go.
It’s a far-more powerful weapon that often accumulates dust from lack of use.
SILENT but PRESENT.
As ministers or as Believers we often feel the push, the drive to do, do, do, fix, fix, fix. But Jesus points us to a better way.
In fact when Jesus describes what true righteousness looks like, JUST SHOWING UP makes the list!
In Matthew 25, we learn that simply sitting with someone in bondage (He says prison but I certainly believe that can include mental bondage as well…Anxiety, panic attacks, depression can CERTAINLY feel like bondage), meeting basic human needs, being quiet company when someone battling a prolonged illness, offering a safe space when none can be found are ALL fruits of righteousness.
They’re ALL powerful testaments that Jesus is ALIVE, ACTIVE and desires to mend the broken.
And the beautiful thing is that NONE of these require the “right words.”
You don’t have to pray for hours to cook a meal.
You don’t have to do a deep dive into the Bible to just sit and listen.
You don’t have to have a theology degree to open your door or knock on someone else’s.
Stop complicating it and start showing up.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-9
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Matthew 25:31-39
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’