Invitational

Maybe you are like me—so busy that when someone invites you to an event, your first inclination is to decline. (Last thing you need is another event on the calendar!)

Yet, imagine no one ever invited you to anything ever again. Can you envision how you'd feel when you hear about a group of friends going out for dinner together, yet you weren't included in the group text? Or what would happen in your heart if your parents always included your siblings, yet they never included you?

An invitation (even when the schedule seems a bit too full) means the other person wants to spend time with you because you matter to them. Or another way to say it: an invitation is an act of love.

The Heart of Christ is Invitational

Today, we start a new blog series entitled The Heart of Christ. The key passage for this series is Matthew 11:28-30, which is where Jesus says...

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

The very first thing we hear in these three verses is Jesus saying, "Come to me!" He is inviting you into His presence, into His embrace, into a relationship, because you matter to Him. Despite what your ex-partner might have said, or what the kids on the playground mocked, or what was reportedly said by the company that rejected your application, you are wanted by the God of the Universe.

So let the Invitational Heart of Jesus compel you to come to Him through prayer, through His Word (the Bible), through worship, and through emotional/mental/spiritual surrender. Simply come to Him, for He loves you more than you will ever realize!