“Then Jesus demanded, ‘What is your name?’” (Mark 5:9a NLT)
How many people do you have in your spheres of influence who are lost; who are in need of Jesus’ friendship and Lordship? Is it comforting to you that Jesus knows their name(s)? Actually, He knows more about them than you know about yourself. And do you want to know the kicker? He loves them more than they could ever imagine!
In Mark 10 we read the story of blind Bartimaeus. In the Gospel of Mark this is the only person Jesus heals where we learn the person’s name. In Mark 5 the name “Legion” is given by the demon who spoke when Jesus asked the demon to identify himself, but we don’t know the man’s given name. In each case the person was identified only by the disease or problem from which they were being delivered.
Aren’t you glad the Lord calls you by name? When we pray, we don’t have to say: “Hey, Lord, this is me, Ed, do You have a few minutes we can chat?” He knows each of us by name and He’s never too busy to speak with us. I believe there’s a lesson there for us. When you pray for your lost loved ones and friends, do you use their name? I suspect you do, but why is that so important?
Primarily because it makes it more personal for us. If we simply pray: “Lord, please draw my family to you.” And someone in our family is saved, it may or may not have had anything to do with our general prayer. Obviously, if I’m praying for neighbors I’ve not yet met, I can’t use their names, but I ask the Lord to save, heal, guide – whatever their need, by name if I possibly can.
Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, in an article entitled Accepting My True Identity in Christ (03-08-23) wrote: “What Ken and Floy also offered Rosaria — to her surprise — was unconditional love and respect. They treated Rosaria not as a project, but as their friend. They spent time with her. They invested in her. They ‘neighbored’ with her and extended grace to her by valuing her as a person instead of as a potential convert out of lesbianism.”
People who don’t yet know Jesus are much more likely to listen to a friend than a stranger. One of the best ways to reach someone for the Lord is to befriend them. Loneliness is rampant in our world today, so people are open to someone who genuinely cares for them; however, if someone senses they’re your “project” they’ll run fast in the opposite direction. So, what’s the answer?
One of the strongest witnesses to people with whom you work is a good work ethic. Do your job well, but don’t brag about what a great worker you are, let others do that for you. Create an environment where you’re known to be approachable, someone a co-worker can come to with a problem, then over time see if they’d like to grab coffee after work. This should go without saying, but using good judgment means woman to woman and man to man. Many “emotional affairs” begin at work and can lead places that are not helpful if you’re married and not honoring to the Lord.
Your attitude, language, demeanor, how you treat others, over time will set you apart as someone who can be trusted if a friend from work needs someone with whom they can share a problem or need. And, yes, of course, doing a great job is your priority, so you can’t be setting in the break room shooting the breeze all day, but that’s just one of many environments where you need to be sensitive to the Lord’s leading.
Whomever you’re seeking to reach for the Lord, they have to feel like you’re interested in them, not just in getting another notch on your spiritual “gun belt.”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 