Devotion: Co-workers for Christ

"Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family." Proverbs 18:24

I remember the moment as clear as day. It was the end of the Young Couples Sunday School class, and a young mom-to-be {with twins!}, whose husband was deployed, stood up and confronted the rest of us. "I was not at church last Sunday, and no one cared to call. No one made sure I was okay or asked how I was doing..." She sat down and a silence spread across the room. Guilt washed over me with such intensity. Sure I had a busy life. I had just had my 3rd child, I was living with my parents while we tried to sell our house in another town, and I was working hard through a particularly rough year as a teacher. But she was right. Her absence went unnoticed by me, and she neatly put me in my place, and that moment changed me forever. Now I do my best to check in on others when I don't see them at church or church functions. I don't ever want anyone to feel like she did that Sunday.

The best part of that situation was the friendship that came of it. She was alone. She wasn't from the area, so family was far away. She didn't live by the church, so even most of the church family was far away. Her husband was off fighting in the Air Force, and she was essentially alone. Through a series of events, she and I developed such an incredible relationship. She lived only a few minutes from me, so it was easy for us to meet up for food, to work out at the Y, or to even just hang out. And even sweeter was that her little boys stole my heart.

The most incredible part of our friendship, though, was our service to the Lord. This past Sunday our pastor said, "When you meet a new brother or sister in Christ, you don't just make a new friend, but you also meet a new co-worker." My first thought when he said this was of my dear friend who chose to boldly stand up that one Sunday morning. His point was that we tend to stay in our comfort zones and miss incredible opportunities to meet other believers. And if you fail to meet other believers, you are missing out on opportunities to serve the Lord together. We believers are CO-WORKERS for Christ. The bond you have with your church family should be closer than the bond you have with your biological family. And if your biological family also serves the Lord, then even greater still. If my friend had not been brave enough to stand up that Sunday morning, I may or may not have developed a sweet friendship. She and I spent much time serving others, individually and together, all the while lifting each other up in prayer and support. We were co-workers for Christ. She has since then moved away, but I continue to keep up with her and her ministry opportunities in her new town. And she continues to encourage me as I find new ways to serve.

What are you doing to meet other believers? Do you develop relationships with other believers who don't go to your church? Do you seek new ways to serve? Do you always sit in same place at church, therefore getting to know only the other people around you who also sit in the same place each Sunday? What would happen if you went to a different Sunday School class for a while? Or what would happen if you just changed your seats during church? How about serving in the community? That's a great way to meet other believers and to get to know other co-workers for Christ. Our pastor challenged us to sit somewhere else next Sunday. How about you? What will YOU do to change your normal routine? You may be surprised in how God will surely bless you.

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