Dear Christians,
We suck! I apologize for being so blunt, but we really do. Maybe not you personally, although I’m sure you have your faults, but as a whole, we really suck. (Romans 3:10, Mark 7:21-23)
Why do I say this? Because Christians are important to me. They are my family. Even the crazy uncle. I can also often be part of the problem, so lest you think I’m pointing fingers only outward, please know I am well aware of my own shortcomings and how I too fit into this equation.
On one hand, I feel this way because it seems we’re failing, but oddly enough my concern is not that we’re failing but how we’re failing. We’ve gotten sidetracked. Somewhere along the way, perhaps the entire journey, we’ve become so self-righteous we’ve made this all about us. We get stuck on behavior modification when condemning sin, we put condemning sin ahead of loving others, and we worry so much about our rights and freedoms (we Christians here in the USA, primarily) that we often trample others in order to insure them. We must remember, this is all contrary to Christ. How can we carry His banner if none of us are willing to endure any suffering, unfairness or persecution? (John 3:17)
Does this mean we shouldn’t speak up in love and truth or in regards to laws that are also meant to protect us? In the words of the apostle Paul, “God forbid”. Those aren’t his exact words but my Greek is terrible.
How often did Christ focus on pointing out how unfair everything was? I must have missed that part.
You see, here in these United States us Christians have had it so good for so long that we’ve become a lazy, entitled lot, shrouded in comfort and convenience. We’ve hidden behind our stained glass, beautiful churches and comfortable accommodations long enough to think it’s okay to pop in on Sunday, mooch off the pastor’s message, give him an “Amen!” and then head home and back to the routine to do it again the next Sunday. To be fair, some of us overachievers make sure we fill a pew on Wednesday too.
Our God loves an underdog as evidenced by the story of the Israelites. Time and again we see the Israelites blessed into comfort, only to squander it away. Comfort breeds complacency. Complacency breeds apathy. Once we turn onto Apathy Lane, we’re off course. A Christian cannot be apathetic. It’s contrary to the Great Commission. It’s contrary to Christ.
The message of Christ is actually a message of servanthood and sacrifice (Matthew 20:28). So how can we all be so strong on rhetoric yet remain so weak on servanthood and love? Do you look around and see Christians routinely visiting low-income areas, orphans, and widows as often as you see them railing against government, sin and the persecution of Christians here in our country (which is laughably defined as persecution in comparison to the rest of the world)? Do we do anything to enact actual change or do we just complain and complain loudly? Are we really acting as the hands and feet of anything, let alone Christ?
Some of us are. Oddly enough, those that come to mind serve humbly and quietly and embody love above all else. It’s through love that they change hearts and lead souls to Jesus. What if that were all of us? (www.lightofthevillage.org)
I blog, as I’m doing now in the form of a letter to you, my fellow Christians. I commonly meet opposition on various topics from the recent Planned Parenthood video revelations, to various political and social issues. In some cases, this opposition is vile and insulting. In my human nature, I’d love to tell my detractors exactly what comes to mind. I’d love to tell them what a low down, morally bankrupt, lunatic, sinful excuse for a being they really are…But God. It could be, has been and probably will be me again at some point in the future, when I make yet another mistake. Love. God loves me through it. God shows me grace and mercy and is more concerned about my heart than my behavior. Shouldn’t that provide me with grace and a blueprint to extend to others?
My brothers and sisters, when we make it all about where we stand and all about behavior, we miss the most extraordinary message of our Lord and Savior. The God who loved King David through his adulterous and murderous act. The God who loved Noah through his drunkenness. The God who used Moses in spite of his murderous rage. The God who saved a judgmental and persecution happy Saul.
Let us all come to grips with reality. Our world is morally bankrupt because the human race is morally bankrupt. Is this a surprise or do we believe the word of God? Those who don’t know Christ are disconnected from their purpose, their Creator and their destiny. They will not see, hear and understand as we do. If we play by their rules, we will continue to fail. If we play by Christ’ rules we will walk with Him in a victory we all know is won. (1 Corinthians 5:12)
Is being right more important than being love? Is being right more important than being salt or light? Can we do all these while still standing in truth? Absolutely. As long as we always use Christ as the compass and the Holy Spirit as our guide, then our fruit will speak for itself, even in the midst of persecution. (Matthew 7:16)
How do we really claim to have faith when it costs us nothing to acquire or maintain? Isn’t faith only faith when we use it to stand in the midst of something where we stand to lose everything? Doesn’t faith cost us something? Isn’t it what we are called to stand on? (Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:44)
Our time is coming. Our nation is shifting. For various reasons, many self-inflicted, our world wants to hear less and less from us. So be it. If they want to hear less, show them more. It’s our time to shine. We know our God will not be mocked. We know our God will reign (Galatians 6:7, Psalm 146:10). It’s time we act like it.
Am I saying we should abandon reason and be silenced in the face of adversity? Absolutely not. I am simply making the observation, that if we do not learn to be more about doing the Father’s business than we are talking about the Father’s business, we are failing the lost and ourselves. If we don’t learn that a spirit of love must be the force behind all we do, then we will continue to hurt more than help.
I personally would like to see more of us who use this measure to speak up and speak out. Let’s stop pointing fingers and start being an example. Let’s stop the take our toys and go home, pout up and pitch a fit mentality just because this is not easy. Let’s dig in and love the unlovable and reach the unreachable. After all, it’s not our power we walk in but the power of the One who lives inside us. (1 John 4:4)
Let’s get over ourselves and understand our God doesn’t need us. He chooses us. He desires relationship with us. We don’t change hearts, we spread His love. He handles the rest. Let us remember to always make sure we’re pointing the way to Jesus and not ourselves. Our actions and rhetoric often paint a very different picture than the one we think we’re presenting.
Take heart, Christian family. We know who wins. We know who is in control. We should also know that persecution gives us a beautiful opportunity to showcase our faith, trust, and hope in Jesus Christ our Lord. Perhaps that’s what scares so many of us…The rubber meets the road.
Discussing issues, be they politics, social or otherwise is not inherently wrong for us to engage in. In fact, we should engage in them. What we should be most mindful of is how and why. Is it for our ego, our pride, our rights, or to be right? It’s acceptable and encouraged to speak and point to truth, just remember the why and how.
So today, let’s all move forward from our thin-skin and insecurity. God doesn’t need us being offended on His behalf. Everyone has a choice, ultimately, and we want to insure we are part of that olive branch, not a hindrance to it.
Please, don’t lose me here. We can do this. We can be better, but only if there is more of Him and less of us.
Let’s get busy being the hands and feet. Let’s continue in prayer that His kingdom come and His will be done. Let’s use the Spirit that abides in us, to usher the Kingdom of Heaven right back to this earth. I pray we may all be more concerned with salt and light than wrong and right.
God Bless,
Your Broken, Sinful, REDEEMED Brother-In-Christ
The Weekley Blog 