Turn Your Spiritual Awareness Up

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” — John 1:43-51

What is happening in this text is so simple and so underutilized by many believers. It's an invitation to connect a person's real-life search for meaning and purpose to the one who provides meaning and purpose — that's Jesus. Some people have called this the invitational approach. And there is an invitation in it, but I am not sure that title is quite right. Because to be able to offer an invitation, we have to have a keen awareness on one hand of what one person is searching for and a keen understanding on the other of how Jesus resolves their search. This means we have to be spiritually alert to a person's needs and know how Jesus resolves their needs.

So there is an invitation in it, but it's more like we are helping people make a spiritual connection to Jesus. And chapter one is full of people helping other people to make connections to Jesus. John the Apostle is making logical connections to Jesus. John the Baptist is making prophetic connections to Jesus. Andrew and Philip are making relational connections for Peter and Nathanael to Jesus. And even Jesus is making a supernatural and insightful connection for Nathanael about who he is, what he is searching for, and what he was going to see.

So please do me a favor today. Turn up your spiritual awareness. Help someone make a spiritual connection. We you see or hear their need point them to Jesus because he has all the answers they are looking for.

ASK THIS: Is there someone you know looking for answers today?

DO THIS: Connect them to Jesus.

PRAY THIS: God, turn my spiritual awareness way up. Help me make connections to you and for your glory.

PLAY THIS: Lookin' For You.