Investing in Others

May 14, 2016

By Trudy Loots


may BB 3


A good friend of mine recently asked very candidly, “How are you able to discern when God is telling you to mentor or pour into someone specifically?”


 

I had to smile and then I actually began to think on it. It wasn’t something that I had ever sat down and made a formula of. Quickly, I began to think of relationships that I knew God called me into that had failed miserably. I thought that would prove that it’s never a simple thing. But I couldn’t think of any!

 

Then I tried to explain how I personally sense the Holy Spirit when he provokes me to pursue a person/relationship. That didn’t help much either, because that’s such a subjective thing. We all encounter God in such unique ways that it wouldn’t be fair to reduce His influence to one method.

 

Finally, I tried to reason with my friend that it was based on finding things I had in common with that individual and seeing how my past could relate to either their past or their present. While this is usually a great conversation starter, that’s not necessarily the “special sauce” that forms the bond she was addressing.

 

Truthfully, God does it. It takes the divine intervention of an all-knowing God to strike up a sense of urgency within you that can only be settled by a steadfast dedication to another person knowing they might never give you anything in return. It totally goes against what our culture preaches. Society says “take what you can, while you can”. But God says in Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

 

may BB 2God is able to take two separate individuals, coming from two separate upbringings, having very separate emotional scars and knit their souls together in such a way that glorifies Him. It allows him to get the glory. If we could simply credit it to compatibility tests or friendship speed-dating, we would wind up with people we chose.

 

Now I’m going to say a super-cliché christianese line here… investing in other’s lives for the pure sake of loving them like Jesus would will never return as a void investment. Like I said in the beginning, I couldn’t think of any relationship where I undoubtedly knew God had called me to it that went sour or was a waste of time.

 

I say all of this certainly not to toot my own horn but to encourage you today. Who is it that God is giving you a nudge to invest into? How long have you been ignoring that nudge because you’re “too busy”, “they won’t like you” or “you’re not spiritual enough to help others grow”?

 

If you don’t already have someone you are intentionally investing your time and soul into, begin praying that God would politely nudge you towards the person He desires you to mentor/befriend. You don’t have to have a list of 20 people. In fact, Jesus gave the perfect example of how much he cares about just even one person in the parable of Luke 15:1-7

Stay Up to Date

To stay up to date and receive the latest blog posts, click the button below to subscribe.

Work Entry

Blog Archives

Summer Travel

July 11, 2025

By: Luisa Mayer

Whether you're heading to Europe or flying across the country, here are some of my favorite tried-and-true tips to make traveling with your...

Trusting God's Process: A Journey of Surrender, Family, and Faith

June 26, 2025

By: Johana Rodriguez


"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." 

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)


I'm Johana Rodriguez,...

Transformation

June 13, 2025

By: Jennifer Clements


Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Romans 12:2



Romans 12:2 has deeply resonated...

Witness

June 4, 2025

By LaShawn Cliatt

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,...

Service

May 29, 2025

By Alexis Patterson


For many years now, I have spent a great deal of my life committed to customer service. In the professional world, we are...