February 27

Begin at Home

He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter). — John 1:41-42 BSB

Andrew didn’t wait for anyone to tell him to go after his brother. As soon as he found Christ, he was eager to share the news, driven by love. The lesson is clear. As one writer put it, “Even a dog that has had its leg mended will bring other limping dogs to the one who helped it.” When someone is cured of a disease, they naturally want to bring their sick friends to the same physician who healed them.

If you have had your soul saved, then you know many around you who are still lost, just as you once were. How many of them have you brought to Jesus? Can you truly claim clean hands, free of the blood of souls, if you haven’t tried earnestly to lead others to Christ? Notice that Andrew brought his own brother, Simon, to Jesus. The passage also suggests that John brought his brother James as well, but Andrew was quicker.

Home is where our efforts should begin. Yet, strangely, home is often the last place we speak about Christ. There’s an old saying, “The shoemaker’s wife is always the worst shod.” Similarly, the preacher’s or teacher’s own home may sometimes receive the least benefit from their Christian life or ministry. Surely the dearest people to us are those in our own families, so we should start there. If anyone in our family is unsaved, we should do all we can to bring them to the Saviour. Of course, our efforts shouldn’t stop at home—we should extend our influence as far as possible. But we must not overlook those closest to us while we focus on reaching others, whether across the globe or next door.