Visit

DEVOTION
GALATIONS
VISIT
Gal 1:18-20
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles — only James, the Lord's brother.
NIV
Now what can I do with this? It would seem on the surface to simply be an explanation of Paul’s visit with Peter and James. But then I would also think it might have something to speak to me about surely not keeping to myself as a Christ follower. And when I talk about not keeping to myself I do not mean seeing other believers on Sunday morning and exchanging the traditional, “Hi, how you doing” phrase, because nobody really tells me anyway. It is always just, “Fine”. I cannot imagine everybody is fine, and I am the only one with issues in my life. But, then that is usually my response to the same “Hi, how are you”? No, I think the visit was more than that. I think I am supposed to actually get involved in the lives of other people, to actually visit with each other. I know I can’t do that with the thousands of people I know who are believers, or at least the hundreds I have an acquaintance with. If I were I would not even have time to work, eat or sleep. And that is assuming they would care to visit with me. But there are a few who I believe I do visit with. There are a few who I am involved in their lives and they are in mine. This is what I believe the Spirit is speaking about to me. I cannot be a walled city, fortified and keep the gates closed, and on guard against any visitors. I cannot hide behind a false façade either. I have to be open to visits and to visit whenever the Spirit leads. It does require time, both to visit and to be visited. This is in the true sense koninia, fellowship with one another. Not talking about the weather or sports, family or politics for that matter, but sharing life with one another.