“The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip & said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew & Peter. Philip found Nathanael & said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come & see.‘” – John 1:43-46

This encounter between two of Christ’s soon-to-be disciples struck me…it’s only half of the encounter, but it struck me as interesting because there is so much to glean from these 3 simple words to “come & see…”.

In this story, Jesus is traveling about his way & encountering people as He goes. He calls to some of them to become his disciples & they drop everything to follow Him. But many of them who are called also go find their closest friends & family members to invite them to come, too.

And that is what struck me. Once they’ve met Jesus & realize who He is, they do not just keep quiet or keep it to themselves. They don’t just stick to His side to try to become the best little disciples they can. They also go out to tell others about Him, to invite others to “come & see.” This challenged my heart. As I call myself a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah & Savior of the world…do I keep that to myself or do I share it with the people I encounter? Do I invite others to “come & see”? In this encounter, Philip told Nathanael about the person he had met, this person he believed to be the Messiah, but when Nathanael doubted what he was saying, Philip invited him to come see for himself.

This encounter challenges me- I can attend church, do my Bible study, sing songs, write a blog, whatever…but if I’m not telling the people I have relationships with about who Christ is…if my life & my stated belief does not reflect that I truly believe in Who I say I believe, I am continuing to miss the point. James 1:22 says “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”If I claim to be a Christian but fail to live out & share the incredible news & opportunity with those around me, I am failing. In sharing with others, though, I can’t force them to believe, I can’t be angry when they doubt or don’t believe, & I shouldn’t just drop them like a hot potato when they doubt or say no, but I should invite them to come along with me & see for themselves. I must pray for them before I share & continue to pray after, & especially if I am turned down. People don’t always believe in something just because someone else tells them their testimony or tells them they should. Many people truly learn to believe because they witness God moving in their own lives or the lives of others…whether it be through difficult situations or blessings, the faith of a person is effected by their own experiences. Once you experience Christ for yourself & you accept what He offers, it then becomes your responsibility, also, to share your experiences with others & then invite them to “come & see” for themselves.

In saying all of this- I am challenging myself also. As an introvert, it’s often easier for me to sit at home & write…but I challenge myself to form relationships with others so I can then share my experiences & invite them to “come & see” for themselves. I hope you’ll join me.

Be blessed friends.