Spiritual Profiling
How may I help you? This question is typically asked with genuine intent, but on occasion may be viewed through a lens of suspicion. Whether you enter a department store, a car dealership, or any other business establishment, this is a common greeting. Some people accept the offer for help, and others decline, preferring to simply browse until they need assistance. This is fine until you notice the person who offered to help, hovering just a few feet away. Coincidentally, of course. You continue browsing, and the helper is ever present, which can be annoying if you are not seeking help. They have assumed something about your purpose that requires them to keep an eye on you.
In churches, how can I help youis a question we might consider asking routinely, particularly when people are in the early stage of their relationship with Christ. Church attendance is a choice for most people, minor children being the exception. It’s safe to assume their attendance is intentional, however, it is not wise to assume to know their purpose or to make a judgment based on how they look. If we don’t ask how they’re doing or how we can help, we risk missing an opportunity to help them fulfill their purpose.
There have been countless times in retail settings where a customer is not greeted or offered assistance. The customer, fully prepared to spend money, may feel invisible and take their business elsewhere. The same should be considered in houses of worship. Everyone who enters God’s house should be greeted and treated with the love of Christ. We shouldn’t get so distracted by their presentation, that we forget God transforms from the inside out.
Showing up anywhere is half the battle, the other half is how you are made to feel once you’re there. No one goes to the grocery store, or to school or church, or anywhere without purpose and intention. Even browsing is purposeful. It’s important to assume the best intention and make our best efforts to greet and meet the needs of God’s people. Retailers want our business for financial gain. God wants only our heart and in return He promises the gift of eternal life.
Grace & Peace,
Teretha