Hanging Out
Who do you like hanging out with? Is there that one person, or a group of people that you enjoy spending time together?
These people are super important as they are the ones who ‘fill our tanks’. They’re close friends where we are at our most relaxed. They are ‘safe people’. The ones who have your back and you can say anything to them.
There are a few people like that for me. I enjoy their company and when we meet its very easy to reconnect.
You might also be the person that others like being around. Perhaps they see you as some kind of role model or inspirational figure?
I remember back in my childhood there was always the ‘cool kids’ at school. The ones everyone wanted to be like and to be seen with. There was something about them that was attractive!
When Jesus was on the earth, he gathered around himself groups of people, the most famous are known as ‘the disciples’, a group of 12 men, who Jesus shared his life with.
Within that group there were three who were even closer to Jesus (Peter, James and John). And there was also a wider group, of both women and men, who Jesus spent time with too.
After Jesus had gone back to heaven, the disciples started to do the same things he had done. On one occasion, recorded in the book of Acts, God healed a man who was lame from birth through Peter and John. This caused such a stir that they were captured and sent to the religious leaders…
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
This healing was a remarkable miracle, and everyone knew it! I love the reaction of the leaders when they discovered who Peter and John were and that ‘they had been with Jesus’!
In other words, hanging out with Jesus can lead to some amazing things! So, what does that look like for us?
Firstly, Jesus is the safest person to be around. He knows all about us and loves us. It’s this kind of love that can melt hard hearts and forgives all wrongdoings.
Secondly, we can’t see Jesus, but we can learn about him by reading and meditating on the Bible. Taking time to be in ‘God’s Story’ has a way of realigning our thinking and priorities.
Thirdly, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to all believers when he returned to heaven. The same Holy Spirit is available to transform our lives and gives us the power to do what Jesus did.
Let me encourage you to hang out with Jesus this week!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader