This is a seven part series that was originally given as one
meditation for a vespers service at Central Christian Church in Grand Rapids
Michigan. In my opinion, people who are living their lives with the Bible
as their authority are in a minority in our country.
I took a FB test recently that told me I
was a pessimist. While I have never been a sugar plums and puppies kind
of person, I have been a half full girl, not a half empty one.
I have so changed since 9-11. Since
I do not believe our country will be improving any time in the near future, am
I doomed to be a pessimist? NO! I can pray for an attitude
adjustment and I can tell myself the TRUTH, the way that I always have when times
have gotten tough in my life.
Truth four: I need to ask myself, what would Jesus do.
Jesus would not get angry. He always responded to those he met with love and
compassion. Lest we think the love and
compassion of Jesus squishy, remember he had some harsh words for the Pharisees
and Sadducees He called these religious
leaders hypocrites and relatives of Satan!
Most people I encounter are not going to be of the
religious leader variety.
If my goal is to win others to Jesus, I need to take
James 1 to heart. Hear it in the
Message translation: "Post
this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up
with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness
doesn’t grow from human anger."
We could probably also
change out the word anger for other emotions.
God's righteousness does not grow from human frustration, human condescension,
etc.
Posts
Jesus also responded - as you mentioned - with force, and I believe it was with holy anger, at times. Sinless anger. Be angry and do not sin.I think part of our problems now, in our country, are because Christians have been "doormats" - not pushing back enough. It is hard to sort out, but I believe there is a place for disobedience, for refusal to back down, and yet we have to watch ourselves to do it without sin, and without being cowtowed into guilt for expressing something that may not look like squishy love.I'm glad there are some courageous Christians heading up places like Alliance Defence Fund and other such organizations, to help push back with force and intelligence in respectable ways.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think I just need to speak the truth in love. If those who hear it feel that the truth is unloving, then that is their problem. If I am being unloving, then that is my problem.
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