The Christian life boils down to the uncommon expression of common virtues. For example, we would expect that Christians would be friendly. What a difference practicing that virtue would make in our society!A well-known author says that a person who is likeable and provides others with a sense of joy, happiness, relaxation, or rejuvenation, is more likely to be hired or promoted. He maintains that some companies have actually abolished unfriendliness by incorporating a system using the acronym, I.O.N.U. — “I Observe No Unfriendliness.”
This principle should be practiced by the citizens of Christ’s kingdom. When people are asked what they look for in a church, their number-one response is “friendliness.” Unfortunately, the reality is that the friendliness of some members of the church are as distant as a star and as cold as outer space.
The Lord told ancient Israel that He “loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” and commanded them to emulate His behavior (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)
Beloved, friendliness is not just a wise business practice, it should be a characteristic of all who follow Christ (John 15:13-14; 1 John 3:16; cf. Proverbs 17:17).
When we attend a worship service, let’s act in such a way that a visitor will say, “I observe no unfriendliness in this congregation.”
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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