“…I was a stranger and you invited me in…” Matthew 25:35
God invites us into eternal life, and into abundant life on earth. He holds out an invitation to us to experience life in a deeper, sweeter, and more fulfilling way. He has no requirements, other than that we believe in Him. He invites us because He loves us.
We both have those people in life who make us feel so…invited. They make us feel welcome no matter who we are. They make us feel part of something. They make us feel loved.
In the same way that Jesus makes us feel loved and always invited to the table of God’s family, I know you and I both want to be that kind of woman to others. We want to make others feel welcome and invited. We want to be the gal who reaches out, who pulls a friend in, who sits by the one who feels alone, who encourages the one who needs a lift. Today, may we remember that comes from a place of knowing we are always loved and invited in by Him.
His love, His constant invitation of welcome, His grace, and His company stir in us a desire to do the same for others. It all comes from Him. It all comes from His Spirit.
So this week, when you see a gal who maybe looks like she could use a friend, a smile, or a hug – think of the One who extends that same welcoming to you. Be the one to extend the invitation to conversation. Be the one to ask how she’s doing. Be the one to offer your presence and your company. Be a woman who invites others in simply because the One who made you and loves you invites you in every day by His grace and love.
And remember, you don’t have to manufacture this. Yes, you have to choose it, which doesn’t always feel easy. But think of the blessing on the other side. Let God stir in you a precious desire to be a blessing to others. He will gladly give you that desire and willingness to be a woman who is inviting.
A prayer for your heart: Lord, thank you for inviting me into Your family not by anything I did or do, but by Your grace and love. Make me a woman who invites others in, who reaches out, who loves just because. And may that all come from you – not something I manufacture on my own. Make me a woman who is inviting because she knows that she is always invited by You.
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