You take up a role as a cell group leader, you have to stretch. But here's the thing, the very thing you want to do, which is grow, happens in the stretching, and taking up responsibility. Start to get involved in reaching out to people, the very act of reaching out to someone else, stretches you. See, if the church doesn't stretch out to the unsaved, it's actually failing in the mission that Jesus gave us. It's not my mission, it's His mission to each of us. So let me share with you three things you could do to stretch.
Here's the first one, and they're not necessarily in order of importance, but there's three things I felt God just put on my heart really simply. Number one is: start to care; you need to be intentional about these, intentional about caring for people, just showing kindness to people, generosity to people. You'd be amazed how you can influence lives through caring for people, just taking a little stretch to show kindness, do something. We've seen some amazing things happening in the church, of people reaching out to one another, helping one another, blessing one another financially. I've heard some great testimonies of people's lives just being impacted by the extension of generosity. There's people you don't even know of. They're never on a platform, and they're reaching out behind the scenes, showing kindness, doing things you don't even know about. Showing care, caring for people.
Number two: we need to hear people, need to listen to people. You never know what's going on in someone's life until you've listened to them, and found out their journey. One of the things, if you really want to stretch, is set your mind: I'm going to start to enquire, and listen to the people that come across my life, to find out what is going on in their world. I want to find out about their journey, where they are, what they're concerned about, what they're struggling with. Don't be in a hurry to try and fix them up. Just have a great passion to come near to them, because one of the big issues of today, worldwide, is people feel alone and disconnected. If you would make the effort to reach out to people who are disconnected, and start to listen to their story, and ask and enquire, and find out where they are, you'd be amazed what is going on in people's lives. That opens the door for caring, then you can share what God has given to you.
It's quite simple isn't it aye? Hear, care and share. Take an intentional effort to listen to people, find where they are; show kindness and care for them; then share, when you have the opportunity, what God did for your life, that made your life change, and your life different. People are waiting to hear what you have, but they won't hear what you have until they see if you care. This is the time to stretch out. This is the time for all of us to stretch out; all of it is under-girded by praying.
I encourage us to begin to think now. Perhaps in your life you're like that man who's a bit turned inward, and a bit self-referenced, and you've drawn back in some kind of way, and there's not the same life there. Why don't you make a decision, God, that's me! I know when you heard it, you thought of someone else; but no, that's me! I'm turned inward, and I'm a bit withered up, and I don't have much life, and I'm certainly not nice to be around. I'm not smiling much anymore, not much joy. You're withered! Come on, what withered you? Make a decision: God, I'm going to bring this thing to the light, I'm going to face where the joy was taken away, reconnect with you, and start to stretch; because it's in the stretching through caring, and hearing, and sharing with people, I'm going to actually start to see God move in a greater way in my life. Why don't we just close our eyes right now.