Meeting People Where God Meets Them
Our faith must play a central role in everything we do. It’s not something to be reserved for Sunday mornings or ministry events, it’s the foundation upon which we stand, the lens through which we see others, and the heartbeat behind every act of compassion. When we understand that God meets every person at their point of need, it changes how we approach ministry and daily life.
If this is where God is meeting them, then we too must be willing to go there.
It’s easy to serve from a distance, to love in theory or pray for those we never truly engage with, but Jesus didn’t do it that way. He met people where they were: on the streets, in their homes, beside wells, and in the company of outcasts. He met people in their brokenness, in their shame, and in their searching. And He calls us to do the same. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17, ESV)
For me, that calling takes me into the red-light district of Tokyo, not only for prayer, but for genuine outreach and relationship building. It means stepping into places where hope feels absent and light seems dim, because I know that is exactly where God’s presence is most powerful. It also means engaging right where I live, reaching out to my neighbors and the non-believers around me, sharing what God is doing in my life and simply being available.
There’s a misconception that ministry only happens within church walls, but the truth is that ministry happens most effectively where people are hurting and searching. Jesus went to the broken places, and we are called to follow His example. Every day offers a new opportunity to be His hands and feet. To listen, to care, and to love in a way that points others toward Him.
In Japan, opportunities to minister are everywhere. We can be a light at work, at school, in the corner market, while standing at the bus stop, or waiting for the train. Ministry doesn’t always look like a sermon or a structured program. Sometimes it’s a smile, a small act of kindness, or simply showing genuine care for someone who feels unseen. Those small things may be exactly what is needed before you can engage in a meaningful discussion about who God is, and why He wants to reach every person. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, ESV)
Language doesn’t have to be a barrier. Actions often speak louder than words, and kindness can open doors that might otherwise stay shut.
When our faith is central, we stop compartmentalizing ministry, we start living it. We begin to recognize that God is already at work in the hearts of those around us, and our role is simply to join Him there. Look around you and see if you are staying in your comfort zone or stepping out to meet people where they are. God did not call us to be saved and then relax in our comfortable homes, surrounded by people who are already part of the church. We are called to go, to bring His light into the darkness, His hope into despair, and His love into places the world has forgotten. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)
We must be willing to meet people where God is meeting them, wherever that may be. When we can do that, we will find that God is not only transforming their lives, He is also transforming our own lives.
