Live an Attractive Life
What is an attractive life? Let me explain. I don’t mean attractive as in physical appearance. I’m not talking about a life that looks like an air-brushed magazine cover. When I searched ‘definition of attractive’ on Google, I came up with these definitions:
- Appealing or pleasing to the senses
- Having beneficial qualities or features that induce someone to accept what is being offered
When I say we need to live an attractive life, I am talking about the second definition.
A couple of months ago, when my kids’ homeschool co-op started, I volunteered to help direct traffic on the first day. Our co-op meets at a small church in the middle of a neighborhood, and our drop-off and pick-up lines can rival the airport’s departure and arrival terminals.
When a car pulled into the parking lot, I asked the driver if they were picking up from Door A or Door B, then directed them into in the appropriate line. However, it’s a small church and the parking lot is not large, so only a handful of cars can enter the lot before a line begins to form on the road.
As I was directing the cars for afternoon pick-up one day, I could see the line of vehicles forming on the road. Pick-up seems to be a little slower than drop-off as kids need to get in, get their backpacks off, and get buckled in—some still in car seats or boosters.
A woman pulled in, and I asked if she was picking up from Door A or Door B. She asked me what I meant, so I repeated my question.
She asked me what was going on. Now totally confused, I asked her if she was there to pick up her child from co-op. She replied, “Oh no. I had no idea what was going on. I just saw all the cars lined up, so I figured it must be good, and I wanted to see what was happening.”
Did you catch that? The line of cars signaled to her that something good was happening at the church, and she didn’t want to miss out on it. The line of cars caught her eye, and she was attracted to it! Whatever she was doing that day, she was willing to disregard it because she wanted to find out what was happening!
Later that same day, I hosted my weekly Bible study, and we read the passage in Acts 2 about how the church lived:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)
When I read about how they lived and how the Lord added to their number daily, I can’t help but think that the way the believers were living was attractive to the non-believers. They lived their daily lives together—meeting together, eating together, praising God together, and simply enjoying the community they cultivated—and it was attractive.
I don’t know about you, but my life does not emulate what is described in Acts 2. If I were to describe my life, it would read more like this:
I went to church on Sunday and worshipped the Lord with others who also attend the church. I chatted briefly with some and then went home. The rest of the week, I ran my four kids all over the place, spending an obscene number of hours in the car. I ordered groceries to be picked up and cooked quick meals for my family. I hosted Bible study on Wednesday evening on my back patio, but other than that, I didn’t see any believers outside my family.
Sad, right? I don’t think anyone would look at my life and say, “That’s it! That’s the life I want to live!”
How does your life look? Is it attractive like the Acts 2 church, or does it resemble something more like my life?
I don’t know about you, but I want to live an attractive life. I want to live in community, having “everything in common” with other believers.
I know my life as a Christian can become attractive if I take small steps, making a more regular commitment to relationships and community. Will you join me? Together, we can begin to live an attractive life.
is living the full life with her husband, Jeff, four kids, and a dog in Metro Detroit. Heather enjoys reading, writing, coffee-ing, and serving in youth ministry. She was born a Jersey girl and feels most at home on a beach. She is the host of the monthly link-up, Share Four Somethings. You can join Heather on the journey to living the full life at www.heathergerwing.com.
Photograph © Jackson David, used with permission
