I was saddened the other night at church when I heard of a poll that ask people to describe Jesus versus Christians. Of course the words for Jesus were kind, compassionate, loving, gentle, excepting...the list goes on. As you would guess...the words to describe Christians were just the opposite judgmental, incompassionate, unkind. A friend saw a bumper sticker that read...'I like your Christ I just don't like your Christians. They are nothing like your Christ!" Don't you know that breaks the heart of God to hear His children described in that manner.
I guess I don't get the whole prideful Christian thing. I've messed up so much along the way I'm just thankful He wants me, that He died for me, that He rescued me. I heard a sweet man that was rescued from the streets say that "God does His best work with those of that us need that most work!" What precious words. I guess we understand more fully what it means to be rescued. No, I wasn't living on the streets, but I was lost just the same. I didn't become a Christian until my mid 30's so I need a lot of work! ;o)
I'm not sure why Christians have gotten the label of being so unkind and judgmental, but I want to break the pattern. I believe we are called to see others the way the Christ would see them. Isn't that the way you would wan't someone to see you? "Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 They've mostly likely already had someone exclude them or look upon them with judgement. My desire is to get in the trenches and become the hands and feet of Christ. "Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." 1 John 3:18
How do you live? Are you compassionate? Do people walk away from you feeling loved or condemned? I hope each of us can say loved! "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Corinthians 13:4-7
I hope we can break the cycle! "But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus ~ the work of telling other the Good News about Gods wonderful kindness and love." Acts 20:24
Until next time...
3 comments:
Would that happen to have been the research for the book "Unchristian"? Our Sunday School class did a brief study on the findings of that book. Tough stuff to listen to, but interesting findings.
Debbi A.
We put anti-knock in our gasoline tanks. I wish it were that easy to handle the knocks that come from human mouths. Do we justify the knocks we give others on the basis that they are constructive? It is easy to take the view that constructive criticism is when I critize you, and destructive criticism is when you criticize me.
.
"Soiling another will never make one's self clean!" Alfred Lord Tennyson
Debbie, I'm not sure where the research came from. I heard it in a sermon. I'll have to read the book "Unchristian." Sounds disturbing, yet interesting.
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