Hanging out with Sinners

Jesus modeled four things when he lived on the earth that allowed him to impact other people’s lives. I call them the four Bs of transformation.

1. He built a relationship with other people. In the marketplace, it is rare that you can impact a person without building a relationship first. The adage that people don’t care what you know until they know that you care is especially true in the workplace. Jesus built relationships with the people around him.
2. Then Jesus blessed them. He tried to meet whatever physical need they had. Many times he healed them first, then told them to go and sin no more. He listened to their concerns.
3. The third thing Jesus did was he began praying for them. He often prayed for deliverance for a person who was demon possessed. He prayed they would know the Father.
4. Finally, he brought the kingdom of God into their lives. He invited people to believe in him as the Savior of the world and to partake of eternal life.

I decided to test this model with an acquaintance. I intentionally refused to talk about Jesus to this person until I had accomplished the first three steps in my relationship with him. After I had fulfilled the first three steps, I presented Christ to my friend. He received Christ immediately because the soil was prepared and he was ready to receive.

Question: Are you prepared to follow these four stages of relationship building before you present Christ to others in your workplace?

Father, help me follow Jesus’ example of loving and caring for others.