Then He appointed twelve, [d]that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,  Mark 3:14 NKJV

Yesterday, Pam and I spent the whole day together. We participated in the funeral of a close friend, called and talked with family on the phone together, ate some really good cajon seafood, went shopping, shared a wonderful meal time with Micah and Michele and prayed with one another for a friend who lost their father that afternoon. There is no substitute for the benefits of spending time together.

Some topics of life only make it to the top for conversations when you are spending time together. I remember talking with a man who was struggling with discipline issues with one of his kids. He was looking for a correct method, bible verse, or new approach that might yield better results. I told him, “sometimes the only answer is to “lean into” your child. When there is a wall, pursue your child by spending more time with them. Are you spending time with your child?”

In order for Jesus to have the full benefits of imprinting His values upon his disciples, He would need to spend extended time with them. They watched Him heal the sick, sleep, eat, laugh, cry, teach, get frustrated with hypocrisy, show compassion, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, serve them, perform miracles, and do life together. When the Pharisees were questioning Peter and John, they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

The pattern for making long term investment disciples remains the same. You need to make time, find time, spend time, calendar time, rearrange time, focus your time on the people that God has brought into your life to influence them. This includes in order of priority, first your spouse, then your children, then your “timothy’s (those who you are spiritually disciplining), then the people in your sphere of influence (small group, coworkers, your neighbors etc). Don’t forget to allow God to spend time with you, He created you for relationship Him.

When you look at your calendar for all of your “to do” lists, make sure to include the blocks of time for “hanging out” with people you are responsible to influence. Time is the currency for purchasing life giving change in others. Don’t be fooled by counterfeit opportunities. Thanks for taking a little time with me to read my thoughts.

Blessings Love y’all