“For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” –Romans 10:13-15.
If we are not careful, Christianity can be practiced in the midst of our “holy huddles.” For those of you who don’t know, the term holy huddle is defined as, “the tendency for Christians to surround themselves with other believers.” Oftentimes Christians perpetuate this self-imposed insulation by purposely segregating themselves into holy huddles with other believers in the church and outside of the church. As a result, believers have few if any deep friendships with unbelievers.
Without even realizing it, we can fill our days with tons of Christian activity, but never once step out to engage with someone who isn’t in the family of God. We have the best of intentions. We meet for small group here, a prayer meeting there, and next thing we know our calendar is filled with holy huddles. We need to remember that Jesus “…came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10) and He calls us to do the same.
Before you think otherwise, community with other believers is critically important and necessary for the believer who wants to grow spiritually. Meeting with other believers is a great way to be encouraged, refreshed, and challenged. Hebrews 10:24-25 is just one of many verses on the importance of meeting with other believers: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” But it is not the end-all for your Christian experience. We were saved to save. Forgiven to forgive. Loved to love. We are the light of the world. The living breathing testimony that God is real and His love is powerful. Everything that we have been given was always meant to be given away. God has placed you amongst people who don’t know Him yet. God’s plan to save them is us.
In Romans 10:13-15, Paul tells us the way someone far from God draws close to Him, is if someone close to God goes far to reach them. The people in our life may never hear about Jesus if we don’t have the boldness to leave our comfort zone to tell them.
But do you have what it takes to reach the lost? The answer is yes. Jesus has already given believers everything they need to not only share the Good News but also to be effective witnesses of His power, authority, mercy, and love. What’s more, as His disciples, He’s given us instructions on how to go about this even in the face of adversity. So what can you do to intentionally love the lost people in your life? What friendships can you pour into, what groups can you spend time with, what habits can you set up, so that you are regularly seeking out and loving on the lost? Find some time to escape the holy huddle to talk to the people in your life who don’t know Him yet.
Discussion Questions:
- Who do I spend most of my time with?
- How often do I make an effort to make relationships with people who don’t know God?