Good morning. One of the most powerfully important things we can do for God and for one another seems so obvious that it is often overlooked.
Do you want to be a better mom or dad? Do you want to be a better husband or wife? Do you want to be a better friend? Do you want to be a better boss or employee? Do you want to be a better servant of the Lord? Do you want to more capably worship your Almighty and loving God?
There is one simple answer to each of these questions, one way to satisfy each of those desires and needs: Show up.
Show up for your children. That doesn’t just mean going to their games, concerts, and activities, although attendance at those functions is extremely important. It means being there for them at the end of the day when you come home from work and are so tired you simply want to be left alone for a while. But what if that time is when your child needs your attention, your advice, your interest, your love? That is when you need to push yourself aside and show up.
Show up for your spouse. When you would rather have it your way and not be bothered with the needs of anyone else, even the one you love, you need to push yourself aside and show up.
Show up for your friends. We all want friends, and we all need friends, but if we want to keep those friends, we need to show up for them. When they need someone to talk to, when they need someone with whom to spend some time, when they need a helping hand or a good laugh, show up.
When the Lord needs you to do those things that He has prepared you to do, you need to show up. When God’s children, your church family, are gathered on Sunday morning to bring Him worship and praise it isn’t enough to fill up a chair, we need to show up. I believe we all know what that distinction is about.
I think that this idea of showing up for each other is some of what is referred to in 1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
It is that deeper love that makes the difference. It is that deeper love that is remembered. It is that deeper love that is commanded when God speaks of agape love. It is that deeper love that is in evidence when we show up for each other. It may seem like an obvious thing to do, but oh, what a difference the deeper love of showing up for one another can make.`