I wonder if we, as Bible-believing and Bible-loving followers of Jesus, could pull back from the fine print and look between the consonants, syllables, conjunctions and punctuation of the written word and consider the human word. As John 1:14 reminds and challenges us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
Remember, the power of the Bible is not the words on a page. The power is that those words contain the living Word, a man named Jesus who didn’t just come to die for our sins, but to teach us how to live in our neighborhoods.
If you are a pastor, church planter or just concerned saint wanting to make a sincere beachhead for God’s kingdom in your neighborhood, consider the power of knowing and being known. Don’t just take time to be more relational this month. Reconsider your entire way of life. Incarnational isn’t a new method or style of ministry. It is actually our calling and will almost always produce kingdom fruit, regardless of your vocation, occupation or distinct calling. This way of Jesus is for everyone.
Being a pastor, planter or Christian all come with expectations, reputations, stereotypes and agendas, none of which necessarily help us connect with the culture around us. But simply being a human does.
This month, don’t just take an hour to try to listen. Instead take an hour to talk with your spouse, kids or key friends and let your conversation be about these two questions:
What can I say ‘no’ to so that I can live a more truly, authentic incarnational life in my community?
What rhythms of life and ministry hinder me from being known and knowing everyone around me?
Being human may be how we are all born, but staying human is not natural—it’s supernatural.
Hugh Halter is the U.S. director of Forge America, an apprenticing community committed to training men and women to live as missionaries where they already are. He is the author of a number of books, most recently Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth and Brimstone: The Art and Act of Holy Nonjudgment. For more information: HughHalter.com