What If We Just Made Tents?

Paul was a tent maker. That's a nugget of trivia many may not know about this man who almost single-handedly wrote the New Testament. 

Scripture tells us "Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." (Acts 18:4)

His life "Monday through Saturday" was filled with living life in a practical way. It was on the Sabbath that he preached and shared the Gospel in church. 

For much of my adult life I've worked very hard to teach, to share the Gospel and to lead. Leading Bible study has been enjoyable and refreshing and energizing for me. It's a passion. My main desire is to see others grow while building community. 

Just today I had the thought, what if we just made tents? 

What if we simply lived our lives and allowed our actions and character to speak the Gospel? That doesn't mean we stop telling the story of Jesus, but maybe it's time I step back and stop trying to create this community and instead, live in community where I am. 

We're called to disciple others and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's not always done on the hillside while preaching to 5,000--often (and usually) it's done over coffee, while folding laundry, during a PTO meeting, in the lunch room, and in a number of other mundane ways. 

Jesus "lived life" during his 3-ish years of public ministry. He ministered wherever He went. Often it just "happened." He used ordinary, everyday occurences to teach infinite and eternal Truths. 

Paul changed the landscape of our world by carrying the Gospel thousands of miles and when you read the Pauline Epistles (letters from Paul in the New Testament) you see he did so through relationship. That's where I want to focus. I've focused long enough on manufactured, often one-sided relationships where I yearn to pour out, but often don't take time to receive. 

Bible studies are wonderful and I will probably continue to host them, but my main focus now is on building relationships that are shared life experiences with God at the center. 

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