Did you know you are God’s Plan A to share God’s love with the world, and there is no Plan B? His desire is to be in continual relationship with you and for you to share God’s love with others around you! YOU were uniquely created in God’s image and have unique gifts and talents all your own. YOU will go places others cannot go or will not go. YOU have incredible opportunities to share God’s love every day and every step of the way.
Share God’s Love by SEEING the People Around You
Sharing God’s love may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Of course you can be thoughtful, creative, and intentional, but you can also look for ways to share God’s love spontaneously throughout the day wherever God takes you! People are waiting to be seen and to experience God’s love!
My children used to cling or pull for my attention nearly every time I had an important call, conversation or mission to accomplish. Being someone who thrives on to-do lists and accomplishing tasks, unfortunately sometimes I would wrongfully see my children as interruptions to my daily agendas. I was a woman on a mission with places to go, people to see, and things to do.
How Did Jesus Share God’s Love?
Jesus was a man on a mission—always looking to share God’s love. He had places to go, people to see and things to do. But He found ways to see, stop, and spend time with everyone along the way. He made everyone feel seen! He shared God’s love everywhere. Let’s follow in Jesus’ footsteps through one chapter in the Bible and look at Matthew Chapter 9.
- In verse 1, people brought Jesus a paralytic lying on a bed. Jesus saw their faith and spoke to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
- Jesus also knew the thoughts of the scribes standing around and even addressed their judgement.
- In verse 9, it says as Jesus passed from there, He saw Matthew sitting at the tax office and said, “Follow Me.”
- As Jesus continued, He sat at the table in a house as many tax collectors and sinners sat with Him and His disciples. Jesus, hearing the Pharisees questioning Him, addresses them directly.
- In verse 14, disciples of John came to Jesus, asking Him questions. He immediately responded to them.
- In verse 18, while Jesus was speaking to the disciples of John, a ruler came and worshiped Him and explained his daughter had just died and asked that Jesus come and lay His hand on her that she would live. Jesus arose and followed Him.
- In verse 20, the Bible says, “And suddenly a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.” Then Jesus turned around and saw her and spoke to her.
- In verse 23, Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and noisy crowd wailing and He spoke to them. Then, He went in and took the girl by the hand and the girl arose.
- In verse 27, it says, “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him.” When he arrived at a house, Jesus turned and addressed them.
- The powerful interactions continue . . . In verse 32, people brought a mute and demon-possessed man, and Jesus cast out a demon from him.
- Verse 35 says, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching and preaching and healing every sickness and very disease among the people.” Jesus used every encounter as an opportunity.
- Then, after all this, Jesus was still moved with compassion. Verse 37 says, “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in His harvest.”
This is just one chapter of the Bible, but you will see that Jesus was a man on a mission continually. He looked at what we may call interruptions as opportunities to share God’s love.
A Real Story of Seeing, Stopping, and Sharing
A friend recently told me a story that’s stuck with me. He was driving to a meeting when he passed a man on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign that read, “Anything Helps, God Bless.” He saw the man, even read the sign—but he was running late and kept driving.
Then he felt God nudge him to turn around. He argued back. He had no cash, no food in the car. What was he going to do, walk up empty-handed? But the nudge wouldn’t quit. So he pulled a U-turn, parked, walked over, reached out his hand, and introduced himself: “Hi, my name is Nathan.” The man said, “I’m Walt.”
They talked for a few minutes. Before walking back to his car, Nathan admitted he had come empty-handed but offered to pray for Walt. Walt said yes.
Here’s what’s beautiful: that wasn’t the end. Over the following months, Nathan kept stopping for Walt on his commute. He brought food, water, supplies. They became friends. And over time, Nathan shared the Gospel and the love of Jesus with him—not in one dramatic moment, but through steady presence.
Nathan didn’t have to be eloquent. He just had to see, stop, and spend time. And as he did, the door opened to share Jesus.
Interruptions are Opportunities to Share God’s Love
I often view interruptions as inconveniences. Do you? Jesus seemed to face so-called interruptions with intentionality! Everyone mattered to Jesus. Every person next to Him was another opportunity to share God’s love.
What can it look like to share God’s love? Here are 12 ways!
- Take time to see, stop, and spend time with others who are with you in the moment!
- Pause to have intentional conversations.
- Offer to return a shopping cart for a mom or aging shopper and give a word of encouragement!
- Return your neighbor’s trash cans after collection.
- Allow someone in a hurry to go before you in line and ask how they are doing!
- Take time to learn the names of employees at places you frequent, like a gym, bank, grocery store, school, etc. Greet people by name!
- Share your blessings and resources like a farm, pool, boat, ATV, vacation home, etc. to have fun recreation time together with others and refresh them.
- Share a meal with someone at your home, take them dinner, or meet them at a restaurant.
- Write someone a note of encouragement, send an encouraging text message, or send a voice-text prayer.
- Call someone and let them know you are thinking of them and praying for them.
- Visit the sick in a nursing home, hospital, or their home and have meaningful conversation.
- Use your skills to help or bless others. For example, if you are an electrician, you can help share your gifts with those in need and share God’s love with others you are working for or with. If you are a teacher, you can share God’s love with your co-workers or students and you can volunteer to teach at church or hold a Bible study in your neighborhood.
It doesn’t have to be complicated to share God’s love!
Follow in Jesus’ footsteps, and look for opportunities in front of you every day! If you want to learn more about how to share God’s love, check out the Forge book, Plan A. It’s a great resource!
Let’s be on-mission and on-assignment with intentionality to see, stop, and spend time with people! Embrace every opportunity you can to share God’s love!
When is the last time you asked God to show you how to share His love? God is excited to share His love with you! Will you be someone that will step up and be excited to share God’s love with others?
