Knock-Knock, Who’s There?

Have you heard a joke that starts, “Knock knock, who’s there?” I bet all of us have heard and told one of these jokes at some point. It’s funny how certain things go viral, and no matter where you are, you can bring it up and everyone’s heard of it. This long-time joke has been used in a variety of ways, and it has been spun in many different ways. For some reason, this joke finds its way through to the next generation, thus living on through a new group of people. This is a good thing – A good joke causes laughter, which according to Proverbs 17:22 does good like medicine.

While this joke is widespread, this question also speaks to an eternal truth.

You see, everything we can see in this life is temporary except one thing. Our houses, cars, jobs, buildings, roads, clothes, jewelry and more are limited by time. The one thing that last forever is relationships. This is the area of our lives that produces an impact which we will see in eternity with God. It’s so powerful how little efforts like a phone call, text, lunch, hanging out, talking, or sharing can alter the eternal place of a soul. Nothing is wasted in God, and every effort counts and is recorded in heaven. What we do to others is done to Jesus himself. What’s amazing is that a lot of this may not feel spiritual. We may not have heard the audible voice of God telling us to do something, yet He moves through our actions.

I believe God is waiting to move through our actions and efforts daily.

Could it be that when we move, God moves, and when we act, He acts. We tend to think it has to be this dramatic encounter, when He just wants us to be ready to answer question, “Knock knock, who’s there?” by looking up and reaching out to our neighbor. The greatest thing we can do in our faith is give our heart to God. Then He can use us as we reach out to people everywhere. Since relationships are eternal, this is what we should invest in more than anything else. This is what we should value, because He came for people. His Church exists for people. His love is for people. His mission is people. His purpose is people. His Kingdom is for people. His power is for people! So people should be our heart as we reach out for Christ.

“God is always fair. He will remember how you helped His people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and He won’t forget the love you have shown His people.”

Hebrews 6:10

I love this verse because it illustrates the heart of God for people, and how He views our efforts toward them. Our life’s work is measured by what we give to others, not by what we get from them. The greatest men and women who left an imprint on the world were those who gave, who served and saw their fellow man as their neighbor to whom they owed the love of God.

Please take a moment and consider what is going in your life today. Think about the pace you are at and how busy you are. Evaluate whether or not people are the main focus in your life. This is what matters, and this is what will live beyond you. In truth, it seems we have to fight for our focus and for our hearts to remain open to those in our lives and those around us. But this is the heart and mission of Jesus, and we have a part to play.

This is so simple and so challenging at the same time. Unfortunately, the church too often doesn’t help. We cave in to the pressure to make it about something else, so we section off our part of ground. We become dogmatic about things that are minor, causing us to we miss what is major. It happens with doctrine, style, groups, expressions and practices. We end up rallying around these things instead of rallying around Jesus and His heart for people, which includes us.

Too many people are making points, but He called us to make a difference.

While we are making our points to persuade others into our camp, our teaching, our groups and more, we miss hearts. In fact, the question “Knock knock, who’s there?” is asked daily, but will we answer with an open heart to others? It’s so easy to become immersed in the minors that we don’t even see our neighbor at work or across the yard, our family member, and beyond. In the end, who cares if we are Calvinist, Baptist, Pentecostal, a believer in Reformed theology and more, the real question is: Who are we impacting for eternity? That’s the issue, and when we think of “Knock knock, who’s there?” the answer is the hurting, the broken, the wounded, and those asking God, “If you’re real, please help me.”

I encourage you to invest in what lasts for eternity, and reap the blessings in this life and in the life to come. Take someone to heaven with you! Make the most of every moment with family, friends and neighbors everywhere. This is our chance to make an imprint that echoes into eternity.

You have what it takes, and God has given you what you need. Step out and change the world one life at a time.

-PD