Are You Observing?

I have to confess that I like to people watch from time to time.  I like to pull up a bench and just watch the people go by.  If I am with my wife, we have a good time pointing out people and wondering what they were thinking earlier that day.  

I will often just sit and observe with purpose.  My purpose is to watch what is going on in the world and to see how people respond.  I'll look at T-shirt slogans, I'll watch what people are attracted to in the mall windows or I'll watch how people respond to a little child or a homeless woman or a good looking man or woman.  Observing is a good way to learn.  

Paul practiced observing folks so he could know about people, their needs, thoughts, beliefs and weaknesses in order to help them move towards God.  In Acts 17:16 the Bible teaches us while Paul was at Athens, "...his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols."  Paul was taking inventory of way people lived in Athens and it was bugging him.  His spirit was provoked, he was uneasy, there was a spiritual battle ensuing around him so he took action.  He began conversations with people (v. 17) both in religious places (synagogue) and in the market place.  He did this everyday.

I can learn from Paul's example to take some time to simply sit and people watch.  I can observe how people live and what is possibly important to them by what they wear, who they are with, where they shop, how they talk and what they talk about.  This can then be used by God to begin conversations with people which may end up leading to conversions.  

Get out there and cast some seeds.