Have you ever had a good friend say excitedly, “Hey, I have a surprise for you!” And you respond with, “What is it?” And they say, “Come and see!” And then you are taken back to your childhood when surprises were joy on steroids. Christmas morning, Easter morning and my birthday were always like that when I was growing up. Surprises for adults may not be quite as exciting but they still have the ability to stimulate our imagination and awaken our sense of wonder.
In the book of John, Chapter 1, starting with verse 35:
The following day John (the Baptist) was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.
Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means teacher), “where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said.
Now the “surprise” was not where he was staying. It was not that interesting. It was rather what he had to say to them. They spent the entire day together. At the end of the day, the two had become followers of Jesus.
“Come and see” struck me as a ministry unto itself. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could approach those who do not believe, pique their curiosity about God, and then say when they asked for more, “come and see”? That probably would look like taking them to church with you, or a bible study, or a good movie about God. It sounds like a great way to introduce people to Christ, as most of us feel completely inadequate when it comes to talking about Him and the bible. We are. However, we are given His words when and if the time comes. Our job is to open doors. God is the closer. It is not our task to get someone to believe. It is His.
I must admit it is still uncomfortable and awkward for me to talk to non-believers about Christ. I am told to simply share what God has done for me in my life. Most stories are far more engaging than mine. Stories of people who had hit rock bottom, were hanging on by a thread and then in their last desperate attempt for help reached out to God and He answered them. He saved their lives, sometimes literally.
You will not hear that story from me. It was much less dramatic. The only interesting part was that I came to Christ through a comedian on a YouTube video. I was not unhappy, nor was I searching for anything of great meaning in my life. I am convinced that God tapped me on the shoulder that day and said “It’s time you stopped being just a believer and became my follower. Come and see what I can do in your life.” I was never the same after that, truly.
God wants all of us to be His children. He especially wants the broken ones, the pitiful, the weak, the desperate, the needy. I could go on.
Take yourself back to your childhood. Think of the best surprise you ever had growing up. Now multiply that surprise by a billion. That is what it is like following God. You will never be alone. You will never go through struggles by yourself. You will never be without someone to talk to and ask guidance from. You will always have someone who not only loves you, but cherishes you, regardless of who you are or what you have done. You will forever be either a son or daughter of the creator of the universe. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Want to know what it’s like? Come and see. God bless.