You Just Never Know

Maria laughed at her friends’ funny stories. She enjoyed being with her group of friends. Every Sunday she hurried to the same section of the sanctuary after church to talk with the same girls. They always invited each other to parties or events. Maria spent all the time she could with them. This particular Sunday, while Maria was still laughing, she glanced over toward the other side of the sanctuary and saw a girl she had seen at church before but never met. Her laughter faded. The girl was by herself; she looked lonely…and sad. Something inside Maria nudged her. What?! She questioned her conscience. Lord, I have great friends. It’s not like they’re bad influences. What if my friends are offended if I leave to talk to her? Then she remembered the verses her pastor had read in his sermon that day. “‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord…when did we see You a stranger and welcome You…?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me’”’ (Matthew 25:35, 38, 40, emphasis added). Maria sighed and looked back toward her giggling friends, already lost in another humorous story. Maria looked down at her feet. The nudge got stronger. She closed her eyes. She breathed deeply. She walked away from her friends and across the sanctuary. “Hi,” she said, offering her hand and mustering as much of a smile as she could, painfully conscious of her friends’ confused stares and comments behind her. “My name is Maria, it’s nice to meet you!” “I’m Amanda,” the girl smiled back.

As C.S. Lewis so insightfully asked, "Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?" Having good friends is a wonderful thing. Friends can encourage, comfort, and help you. Close friends are special – when you have a lot in common and spend time together, close bonds are formed that can last for a long time. That’s great! Good friends can sharpen each other and encourage each other in their Christian walks. We have to be careful, though, that we don’t cause our friendships to become exclusive and avoid making any efforts to meet new friends. Sometimes it’s a very big circle around the fire!

About 2,000 years ago, a woman with a spotted past and broken life trudged wearily toward the town well to draw water – just like she did every day. This day, however, was different. There at the well she met the greatest Friend anyone could have: Jesus Christ. Unlike the twelve disciples, who were shocked to see Jesus break the social patterns of the time, Jesus didn’t care what others’ opinions were of this woman. He didn’t stop to see how the popular townspeople treated her. He already knew how much God loved her – and nothing in her past could change His love. Others in her life had given up on her, but Jesus reached out to her in love, just like He reached out to us, and just like He wants us to reach out to others (John 4:1-45).

Who would have thought that that same woman with a seemingly inexcusable past and a bleak, hopeless future would be the instrument of God’s choice in bringing the hope of Christ to her entire city (John 4:39-42)? It was only because Jesus Christ offered salvation and hope to someone socially opposite from Himself. While we can never be as great a friend as Jesus is, we know the hope that set us free, and can set free everyone around us. Because of Jesus’ kindness an entire city came to the saving knowledge of Christ. God can do great things through simple acts of obedience.

You just never know what may come of a friendly gesture. When you reach out to others in obedience to God with a humble heart of service, you never know what God may bring of it. Maybe a girl you stop to talk to really needs a friend and could use some godly advice. Or perhaps, if you strike up a conversation with a girl you’ve never met, you may discover that you have a lot in common. You might become close friends, and there could be a day when you need her friendship more than she ever needed yours. You just never know what could happen!

So if you were Maria, what would you have done? Would you have stayed with the friends you already have and let Amanda walk on by? Or would you have told your friends you’d see them later and offered your friendship to a girl who needed it? What will we choose next time we face such a decision? As an insightful man once said, “"The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children” (Henry Drummond).