1 Corinthians 16: 19 The churches in the province of Asia send you their greetings; Aquila and Priscilla and the church that meets in their house send warm Christian greetings. 20 All the believers here send greetings.
Greet one another with the kiss of peace.
21 With my own hand I write this: Greetings from Paul.
22 Whoever does not love the Lord—a curse on him!
Marana tha—Our Lord, come!
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.
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“Come in! Grab a
plate and sit anywhere!” were words that made me feel welcome. I wasn’t sure
about this group. I had played some words of doubt in my mind. “What if I don’t
know anyone there?” And “What will I say?” And “What if I am alone, will I
stand out as an embarrassment?” I went to the gathering despite my shy
thoughts.
- I had been laughed at in the past.
- I had been places where I wasn’t welcome and was made to feel less than the other guests.
- I had gone places alone and was left alone by other people.
Paul completes his
letter with a warm greeting. He sent a greeting from many people and reminded
everyone to do the same. Greeting means welcomed and recognized. One important
recognition he sent in his greeting was that of JESUS.
My Observations
- GOD wants me to be intentional with making people feel welcome.
- GOD wants me to send words of peace to those I meet.
- GOD wants me to recognize when another human is in proximity to me, even if it is with a smile.
Feeling welcome and
recognized makes me relax for a moment. I mean the world has me ready for a
fight and I gather information for combat. BUT GOD wants peace. HE wants me to
receive peace and give it whenever I can.
Greeting doesn’t
need to be robotic like a large grocery store chain. It can be heartfelt and
loving, especially when the purpose is to provide the love of JESUS. I greet
all who read this and send my love to you in CHRIST JESUS.
Challenge
- How do you feel when reading the words of greeting from the writer?
- How do you make people feel welcome and recognized?
- Will you be genuine with your desire to greet people for the purpose of spreading the love of JESUS today?
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