Safe Place is a national non-profit organization that provides safety for troubled or threatened youth. Any youth may walk into a public place that has one of these signs posted and they will receive the help they need. The employess are trained to assist these young people while a professional is called for them.
What about you? Are you a "Safe Place?" Can those in your church walk up to you and know that you would listen, care for and help them? What about those outside the church, non-believer's? (This could include neighbor's, co-worker's and other's that don't know Christ.) What does your body language say? Does it read "Safe Place" come and talk, or does it say "Do Not Enter" I am not available to you?
Walk in the Light of Jesus
I can't think of a time that I read in God's Word that Jesus didn't make time for other's. No matter how busy He was, if someone approached Him, he gave them His full attention.
He could not know everyone deeply or minister to every person alive on planet earth. As a human being, He was confined to a physical body and could not be all places all the time. But one of the reasons He was so often available to help so many was that He took time to be alone with His Father and to develop His close relationships with the disciples into whose hands He would one day entrust the Gospel mission and kingdom work. Jesus had His priorities in order, didn't He?
Even the woman that touched His robe. (
Luke 8:43-48)
In the midst of a crowd Jesus "felt" that someone needed Him by a simple touch. I am sure people were bumping into Him, yet He felt her. He called out "Who touched my robe?" He wanted to acknowledg
e that He felt her touch
and saw her need.
Story after story in The Bible we see Jesus meeting the need for security.
Please read the definition for Security again:
Establishing and maintaining harmony in our relationships and providing freedom from fear or threat of harm through expressions of vulnerabilty, deepening of trust, and the successful resolution of conflict.
Jesus meets this need. He met this need in His disciples. He met this need in those
who
did not know Him as Savior. He meets this need in you and me today. Please take a moment to "Walk in the Light of Jesus" by experiencing at least on these two situations:
-
In your experience, how has Jesus come alongside you and let you know He cares, He knows, and He is with you even though there may have been no one else to help you feel secure or safe? Would you thank God for being with You?
-
From your knowledge of scripture and Bible stories, would you choose one situation that you can recall where Jesus made a person feel secure or safe when others may not have noticed or cared?
Please be ready to share this later as you "Walk in the Light of Fellowship with Others".
Walk in the Light of God's Word.
Let's experience Ephesians 4:2-3 Let's Do The Book!
2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
My husband and I are honored to work with many pre-married couples. This is one of the verses that we will often write in their card on their wedding day. If we could do this in our marriage wouldn't it automatically bring security? If we could treat others this wa
y,
wouldn't they feel secure in our friendship and allow a trust between us? To feel secure, don't we need to feel trust?
Are there tho
se within your church family or outside of it with whom God is calling you to develop a safe, trusting relationship?
What if you did Ephesians 4:2-3? How would that change your relationship with them? Would you dare to give it a try?
Would you dare to "Do the Book"?
Walk in the Light of Real Fellowship.
I have a friend
who
walked with me through a very difficult time in my life. I was dealing with depressi
on, a
nd she basically inserted herself into my life. She prayed for
me, a
nd she was there for me in every way.
I have a great need for security. Growing up, those I cared about in my life left me. When this friend asked to help
me, I
honestly thought she would not stick around. I thought once she knew me she would not hang around after that. But she did!
She honestly taught me what true friendship was about. I felt secure in our relationship. No matter what I shared with her a
nd, b
elieve me, I shared my darkest moments, she just loved me and was there for me.
My friend did:
Mark 12:30-31
30:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
31:
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these."
She sacrificed for me
.
She deepened my relationship with God and helped me to know what true relationship was like. She never asked me to do anything that she was not willing to do herself. I am forever grateful for her.
You can make such a difference in the lives of those God has you encounter on a daily basis. You could help someone feel the security that maybe they didn't feel as a child. What a safe friend y
ou can b
e, if you are willing.
Sometimes
it could get messy. But hey, we all get messy at times! Thankfully, God "does messy"!
Now, would you please take time to share with your friend or family, the answer to one or both of the two situations from "Walk in the Light of Jesus"?
-
In your experience, how has Jesus come alongside you and let you know He cares, He knows, and He is with you even though there may have been no one else to help you feel secure or safe? Would you thank God for being with You?
-
From your knowledge of scripture and Bible stories, would you choose one situation that you can recall where Jesus made a person feel secure or safe when others may not have noticed or cared?
Now it is time to have some real fellowship and deepen some friendships by meeting the need for Security!
