Are You Approachable?

   How approachable are you?  Do people feel they can be comfortable around you?  Some of you crave spending time with friends and others.  Your worst punishment is being sent to your room and have to be isolated.  Others are very comfortable with being by themselves and have no need be around people.  Your worst punishment is having to make phone calls or being made to sit in a room full of people and engage in conversation.  

   Regardless of where you put yourself in the categories from this last paragraph, your approachability has more to do with your attitude toward others and how you treat people.  Jesus was accused of being a friend to sinners, an accusation He readily was willing to be attached to.  Sinners’ lifestyles did not influence how He lived, rather His lifestyle and attitude rubbed off on them.

   Jesus was visiting the home of a Pharisee, Simon in Luke 7:36-50.  While having the meal, a woman of ill repute or terrible reputation came walking in and humbly washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (something Simon did not do for his guest by having Jesus’ feet washed).  Even with her very sinful lifestyle, Jesus accepted her and allowed her into His world without condemnation.  

   We need to consistently grow in our faith so that the lifestyles of others do not change who we are and what we do, but our treatmen ...