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Aug 14, 2026 06:00am

Invite Them In

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Leaned against the house, a wooden sign decorates most porches with a simple word: Welcome.
But is that true?

From the outside, we want to seem inviting and friendly, but are we really wanting to welcome others inside? Not just into our homes, but into our lives.
Because that’s where it can get messy.
Sure, we may do a fast clean for someone to come over. I can remember as a kid, the house would be a mess. But if we heard our grandma was coming, we had to have the table clean. Why the table? I don’t know. But that was the thing.
The real life that happens behind the closed doors isn’t always as pretty as that front porch.
If people really knew…
the hurt we were dealing with
the emptiness and loneliness that plagues us
the stress we feel when the bills are due
the feelings of inadequacy and defeat of not knowing what to do with our troubled kids
the struggles in our marriage
the questions we have that we’re too afraid to ask
if people really knew all of this, maybe they wouldn’t want to be part of our lives.
And so, we paste on a smile, tell them we’re doing good, and keep the welcome sign beside the closed door.
But…

What if we dared to do something different? What if we were real, honest, and welcoming? Now that would be life-changing.
This was the example of Paul.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”
Paul was saying, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.”
He was willing to invest all he had to show them he loved them and to encourage them in Christ. Not just with words. With his life.

He did more than put the welcome sign on the porch. He opened the door, invited them in, and encouraged them to stay awhile. And it was life-changing.
The Thessalonians not only heard the gospel, but they saw it lived out in real life. Paul discipled them so that they could turn and do the same for others. Because Paul had the best example – Jesus Christ.
We see His life as a model for our own lives as He didn’t just tell people what to do, He invited them along in His life as He showed them and encouraged them.

Are we willing to do the same? It’s what we’ve been called to do.
We have a choice today: we can leave the welcome sign on the front porch and be willing to open the door to our lives, or we can paste on that smile and play a life of pretend.

If you want to see lives changed, investment is required. Invite them in.