The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” (Acts 8:29)
I have often thought that one of the greatest joys a Christian could experience in their earthly life of faith would be to lead another person to Christ. After I think about this thrill, my mind often dwells on how such a monumental task is accomplished. The one answer I come back to time and again is through building relationships.
The Holy Spirit does not tell Philip to look important, to sound brilliant, or to draw lots of attention to himself; rather, he is told to “stay near” the chariot. He was instructed to go and be near that man in order that God might work through him, and Philip obeyed that command immediately! He went to the Ethiopian official and straight away found a common ground with him. In short, he built a relationship through which God touched the heart of the eunuch.
Our own relationship-building muscles can be as strong as Philip’s were. We can refuse to shy away from the people who God puts in our path, seeing them not as impediments to our journey, but as beloved children. We, too, can be open to God's plan for common ground with the people we meet and draw near to them that he might use all our relationships to communicate his love and truth.
Stay near to people so that you can build relationships.
Amy Elliot lives with her family in Ontario, Canada. Her husband is ordained in The Wesleyan Church.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
