Luke 14:27-28
Can these thoughts help us ESTIMATE and CARRY our cross
for Christ?
A.R.E.
A-CCESSIBILITY: Can I reach you?
This means staying open to your troubled
brother or seeker of Christ even when you have doubts and feel insecure. It
often means being willing to struggle to make sense of your emotions so these
emotions are not so overwhelming. You can then step back from disconnection and
can tune into your brother’s hesitant cues.
R-ESPONSIVENESS: Can I rely on
you to respond to me emotionally?
This means tuning into your troubled
brother or seeker of Christ and showing that his or her emotions, especially fellowship
needs and fears have an impact on you. It means accepting and placing a
priority on the emotional signals your brother in Christ conveys and sending
clear signals of comfort and caring when your brother needs them. Sensitive
responsiveness always touches us emotionally and calms us.
E-NGAGEMENT: Do I know you will
value me and stay near?
The dictionary defines engaged as being absorbed, attracted,
pulled, pledged, involved. The bible says we don’t lose heart, and we commend
ourselves to everyone (2 Cor 4:3). Engagement here means the very special kind
of attention that we give to those we love. We pay attention to them longer, we
fellowship with them on a deeper level. This is often spoken of as being
emotionally present.
John 15:7 Christ explicitly
tells us,
“If you make yourselves at home
with Me and My words are at home with you, you can be sure that whatever you
ask will be listened to and acted upon.”
Our prospective hearers are
watching closely as to whether we are genuinely interested in their life
situation. Are we openly Christlike in action and deed? Will we walk more than
a mile with them? What they see, hear and feel determines if they can trust us
in a relationship that can lead them to salvation.
A.R.E.
