Monday, July 18, 2011

Live Like Jesus

Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world. -- 1 Peter 2:12

What does a Christian look like? Are Christians short or tall, bald or hairy, white, black, brown? Are Christians wealthy or poor? Do they reside only in the United States or anywhere? Silly questions, I know. But sometimes trying to find a Christian in all the public rhetoric seems silly too.

In his book Being Gray in a World of Black and White, Adam Hamilton noted that when he asked people why they didn’t attend church, they told him they liked Jesus but didn’t like Christians. We should all take a moment to think about that.

Hamilton, of course, didn’t stop with one question. He asked them to explain why they didn’t like Christians. The labels weren’t surprising. Hypocritical. Narrow-minded. You get the idea.

Of course, most Christians aren’t that way. You’re probably not that way. But, honestly, I could name quite a few who are. I’m sure they don’t see themselves in that light but every time you think that someone needs to “clean up his” act before he comes to church, you’re being exactly that way.

But the people who really give Christians a bad name are those in the public realm who are vocal with their narrow opinions and claim to speak for all of us. They are, Hamilton notes, the black-or-white opinion folks who refuse to even contemplate a gray area in between. I suppose they can’t see the gray because they refuse to listen to anyone whose opinion differs from their own.

That’s why those of us who do see the gray really need to get vocal about it. That doesn’t mean we throw out our values or the Bible or anything else that helps us determine right from wrong. It simply means that we listen to what other people have to say and try to understand where they’re coming from.
We forget sometimes that Jesus didn’t condemn the sinners. When He got angry, it was almost always at the religious groups who were so busy trying to make everyone keep their laws that they failed in the most basic areas of faith. Compassion. Love. Forgiveness. Mercy.

We can disagree with others without condemning them. We can live according to our Biblical interpretations without looking down on those who interpret things differently. Even as He hung dying on a cross, Jesus sought forgiveness for those who had murdered Him. And, yet, we condemn someone simply for having an opinion that is different from our own.

People see our behavior and group us under one big label titled Christians. How we live, how we respond to criticism, can impact how someone sees Jesus. We’re suppose to draw people toward Him, not push them away. Next time stop and think, listen and learn. Show someone who Jesus really is by living like He really does live inside of you.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

What Kind of Christian Are You?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -- Proverbs 9:10

What kind of Christian are? Are you content to stay where you are, living in the knowledge you’ve been given but never striving to understand anything more? Or do you constantly seek to know God more intimately? Do you believe because your parents believed or because life has taught your heart that God is real and present in every circumstance?

In his book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Adam Hamilton gives his interpretation of James Fowler’s book, Stages of Faith. I was a little skeptical at first. And I’m certain there are exceptions to everything. But it amazed me that I could actually place people in one stage or the other. It helped me understand them a little more.

The six stages are pretty basic. Stage one refers to the faith of a young child who might not understand that God is way different than Santa Claus.

Hamilton says the second stage tends toward a simple rule: “If I am good, then God will bless me.” I thought of someone who fit this right away. I would never have guessed until she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. She had no foundation, no rock to lean on, because her faith was a surface belief that never touched her heart.

The third stage characterizes people who believe what they believe because it’s what they’ve always been told, Hamilton explains. They’ve never questioned the faith of their parents. They belong to a particular denomination because it’s what they know. They’ve never questioned whether the rituals and interpretations are what they truly believe. That’s the key. They never question. I know a few of those too.

Stage four is for folks who have gone through some sort of trial. “Individuals are claiming their faith for themselves and not simply the faith that belonged to a parent of authority figure,” Hamilton writes. Yeah, I know about that. It’s when you hold on to God with everything you have because you know deep inside if you let go you won’t survive.

The fifth stage happens when people become more open and tolerant of the views of others. The sixth stage is reserved for people who offer others a selfless, unconditional love and who are willing to suffer for others. Hamilton offers up Mother Teresa as a good example.

According to Hamilton, most people never progress past stages two and three. They’re content to believe what they’ve been told and to live in that little dream world that assumes when something bad happens, you did something to deserve it. They tend to be quite judgmental until they’re faced with a serious crisis. At that point, their faith either deepens or they become angry with God and shove Him away from their hearts.

I’ve never understood people who refuse to read and study the Bible. They’re cocky almost, certain that they know everything they need to know. Maybe they do. As for me, I don’t think I’ll ever know everything I want to about God and all He does for me. I want to feel His Presence in every moment, to grow and, hopefully, become more like Jesus as I age.

I know. Lofty dreams. And, yet, I do seek that knowledge. Maybe you’re one of those content to stay where you are in faith. Maybe that works for you. But for those of us who have faced the fire and learned that the only truly safe place is in God’s loving arms, faith and knowledge go together. I will forever seek Him until I stand before His throne.