I’ve been reading through the New Testament with my church, and was so captivated a couple of weeks ago in the book of John. I’ve read through the Gospels so many times, but I love how we see on a daily basis that “the Word of God is living and active” (Heb. 4:12, NIV). I love reading over things that I hadn’t noticed in the past, or seeing patterns in Scripture that hadn’t caught my eye in previous readings. One thing I noticed is Jesus’ call to follow him was often followed by the invitation to “come and see.” Once Jesus asked Philip to follow him, Philip then told Nathanael to “Come and see” (John 1:46, CSB).
Jesus offered the opportunity to “come and see” to countless people that we read about in the Gospels. Even though he may not have said those exact words each time, we see it in his compassion, his thoughtful questions, and his call to follow him. In John 4, we see Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well. He sees her right where she is: alone, set aside, and rejected. Jesus breaks all cultural norms to even speak to her, much less to offer her the living water that only he can offer. Jesus tells her that he is the Messiah (John 4:26) and she then invites other townspeople to “come, see a man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29).
Are you inviting girls to “come and see” Jesus in your life and ministry?
Often, our lives become too busy, and we forget to extend this crucial invitation. Can they see Jesus in you? Are you inviting them into your life? As women, we’ve hopefully experienced this invitation throughout our lives, and now our call is to extend it to the teen girls in our lives. Our lives are on display for girls we love and lead to see. Does your life reflect Jesus back to those watching?
Our call is not perfection, but a constant pursuit of sanctification and holiness. Just this morning, I recalled a sin pattern that I was stuck in for what felt like a long time. The enemy immediately brought shame to mind, and I had to remind myself that I’ve been forgiven. It’s not who I am anymore. Shame has no hold on me. While my life is far from perfect, I’m pursuing Christ with all I am. When we invite girls to come and see, we’re inviting them to see how Jesus has changed our lives. We’re inviting them to see what he’s worthy of everything we have, and we can trust him because we’ve been set free and redeemed.
Just as Jesus invites us, we must also invite girls to see Jesus. Someone invited you to come and see, so we you to do the same to those girls God places in your life. Your job is to issue the invitation and let Jesus do the work in their hearts. Put truth in front of them, and trust him with the rest. Continue to issue the invitation, even if it’s rejected. As you pursue Christ, they’ll see him at work in you.
Be faithful. Stand firm. Don’t let the enemy have a stronghold in your life. Push back shame. Bring light into the darkness. Lead well. Be faithful right where you are. Don’t be afraid of rejection. Continue to issue the invitation for them to see Jesus.