Safe-Place People indeed are those who unconditionally Love as Jesus Loves us; … are forgiveness ready, as Jesus is towards us; and … are nonjudgmental listeners as Lord Jesus listens to us. But in order to “be” all these “things”, Safe-Place People need to be available. …
They need to be available physically. If they are not there, they cannot even be good listeners, forgiveness ready or even Love. They need to be available emotionally. Our Lord Jesus had compassion on those who came to Him (Mt. 9:36). They knew He cared; they connected with Him and He with them…. And they need to be available spiritually. Our Lord Jesus was spiritually vulnerable, not just in the wilderness (Mt. 4:1ff), but throughout His earthly walk among us (Heb. 4:15). He experienced life with us. He was not aloof, disengaged or offish….
He came to us, became one of us, lived, ate and slept with us. And hurt with us…. He is the archetype of Safe-Place People. By coming to us, He made Himself available. He could have stayed in the Holy of Holies, aloof, offish and insensitive. Ah, but while we were still sinners, He so Loved us by dying for us and our sins (Cf. John 3:16 & Rom. 5:8). He came to us…. He made Himself available. …
I want to live like Jesus, I want to be Him to others. I want to be a Safe-Place Person…. Would you like to join me in being available to be Safe-Place People?
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:5–8 NIV84)
Shalom,
Pastor Mike