For as long as I have been preaching, when it is around holiday time, I will hear some tell me that the reason they weren’t at church services was because they had “unexpected visitors.” This explanation is usually offered without any shame or embarrassment, indicating that in their way of thinking, their behavior was totally acceptable.
But suppose it was the worship hour, and instead of participating in this assembly of exhortation, study, and praise, you are at home entertaining some “unexpected visitors.” And, while you’re entertaining these “unexpected visitors,” another “unexpected visitor” drops in – Jesus. Friends, when Jesus does decide to unexpectedly drop in, I don’t think any of us would want to be found neglecting spiritual matters in favor of worldly matters.
My concern is that these “unexpected visitors” are revealing misplaced priorities. For example, what if “unexpected visitors” dropped in at the time of your child’s graduation from high school, at a time when you were expected to be at work, or when you were expected to attend a wedding or funeral of a close friend? Wouldn’t we explain we had a prior commitment? Of course, we would. If that is the case, then what are we to conclude when one misses his appointment with the Lord to entertain visitors?
The privilege of wearing the name of Christ requires us to make many sacrifices in life. It may cause some of our friends or family to think we are a bit strange (1 Peter 4:4). It may even anger some of our friends or family (Matthew 10:34-39) to realize they don’t come first in our lives. But so be it! Knowing how great a sacrifice Jesus made for us, we should think it a rather small thing to sacrifice a couple of hours of visiting with friends or family in order to pay homage to the one who died to save us.
Next time “unexpected visitors” drop in when you have an appointment with the Lord, why not use it as an opportunity to invite them to join you or tell them to make themselves at home for the next hour or so until you return? Give it some thought.
by Steve Higginbotham