New Life

My wife and I are expecting our third child in June. Yesterday, we got to go to the all important sonogram. This technology completely fascinates me. How they are able to peer into the womb and look at that little child I will never know nor understand. As I sat there yesterday looking at the first images of our baby girl I was overcome with the wonder of it all. Here is this new life, just forming yet so distinguishable. Though some say babies in the womb look like little aliens (which they kind of do) there is no doubt that they are completely human. When we come to new life in Jesus, we begin to take on his likeness, just as a child in the womb takes on human likeness. That child in the womb must go through all of the developmental stages to be healthy. I think this is where we take some short cuts as Christ followers. We do not spend enough time in development. If a child is born too early, they must spend some time in a special part of the hospital until their development is done. Not so with new believers. Many times we expect them to grow on their own. It is of greatest importance to view new believers like children in the womb. They need the proper diet and environment to grow. If they do not receive this, they will not be healthy. The expectation is there, but we fail in the delivery. Just as the babe in the womb is dependent upon the mother to provide what is necessary for growth, the church (and more specifically, individual believers) are responsible for providing new believers with what they need to grow up healthy. I think the most effective way for this to happen is in a 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 type of setting. Throughout the New Testament we see this kind of relationship playing out before our eyes with great results. Jesus modeled it for us with the disciples. There were hundreds who followed him, but he poured his life into twelve and of those twelve, He deeply invested in three. Those three had a tremendous impact on what we call the church today. Paul also did this as he went planting churches. He fostered a deep relationship with Timothy, Titus, Epaphras and others. These men would follow in the footsteps of Paul, leading and planting churches. The key was that someone took time to invest their life in the life of someone else, and with dramatic effect. This method still works today. Maybe it is time that you begin to share the wisdom you have gained in your Christ-walk with someone else who is just beginning. Maybe it is time that you seek someone out to invest in you. Even as your are investing in someone else, it is a good idea to have someone investing in you. It's time to CRASH!