An Example Before Us

3 John

Do you know someone or a family that is very kind? I don’t mean just nice, I am talking, they give and take care of you. The type of person that when you go over to their house they always make sure that you have something to eat and to drink. Well, Gaius was this man for the church.

We come to another book written by the disciple John. This is one of the shortest books of the Bible. John wrote this to Gaius, who was someone very personal to John. We see that Gaius had a man in the church who was actually hindering the work of the Gospel, he was receiving the teachers that John sent and was not hospitable.

Gaius serves as an example for us to be hospitable to other believers and not just believers but to the pastors and teachers of the church. To be hospitable means that you receive a guest warmly and that you take care of them. We read that Gaius was taking care of the guests that John would send to the church even though they were strangers to Gaius. The same way we are to take care of those who serve the Lord. Verse 8 tells us, “Therefore we ought to support people like these that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” Are you hospitable to those who work for Christ? Do you support their work? As a middle schooler what are doing to support those that work for the ministry?

In our day and age going out of our way for someone is unheard of and then to go out of your way for someone you have never met is on a whole new level of never. But, we are commanded to support those that work for Christ. I am so thankful that I am able to give my whole attention to serving the Lord and the jr. highers around Riverside. I am thankful for the support and all the families that it takes for me to do what I do. I am thankful for the families that will bless my family with food and provisions.

Here is a list of ways you as a middle schooler can be like a Gaius:

1) Pray for those in ministry. This is a great start to supporting those that serve the Lord. That would be all the Pastors, elders, workers and missionaries that strive for Jesus to be known among the nations.Here at Harvest we have 21 Pastors that you can pray for and we would greatly appreciate it!

2) Start thinking of ways you can support them financially. You may not have a steady income because you are in middle school but there are creative ways that you can support those in ministry. This will stretch you but also it will teach you to be giving.

3) Show hospitality. Gaius was known for that, and remember that to be hospitable would be taking care of them. There are many ways you can take care  of those in ministry. You can write a nice card, invite that person over for dinner with your family, tell them you are praying for them, etc.

I would like to hear from you, what are some ways you could be hospitable to those in the ministry?