February 14, 2020

Look to Your Hearts

And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. – Luke 21:17

Everyone likes to be liked. Everyone wants to be accepted and valued. I am no exception. But what happens when God calls you to something that will likely turn your world upside down and cause people to hate you? Eventually, you do it anyway.

For a long time I have felt torn by the increasing chasm between the views loudly expressed by “Christians” and what the Bible actually says. We have become a society good at choosing parts and pieces of Scripture to “prove” our own way of thinking. We use God’s Word to slay others and do it “in the name of Jesus.” In so doing, we miss the point. We miss His point.

Love others. Love your enemies. Love foreigners. Love. Again and again we are told to love people. Again and again we see Jesus helping others without bothering to inquire if they deserve it. Because, honestly, none of us deserve His help. None of us deserve grace and mercy. His gives it freely anyway.

We are just so hard-hearted. We pray for our will to be done, refusing to consider that maybe it is us who have gotten it all wrong. We are so busy being “right” that we fail to look beyond ourselves to actually hear God’s voice.

God’s Word covers so much more than abortion and homosexuality but some groups would have us believe that those are the only two issues that matter. We don’t want to hear about the poor. That might cost us money. We don’t want to read about welcoming foreigners because we don’t want to be around people who aren’t exactly like us.

We hold in high esteem those who are filled with greed, reckless ambition, and selfish motives. We call them successful. We fill our hearts with worthless possessions that make us feel good about ourselves. And we cling to what we claim as ours, refusing to acknowledge God’s ownership over it all.

The truth of our lives isn’t pretty. We are guilty and obstinate in our harsh words and finger pointing. Look in the mirror, oh Pharisees. See yourselves clearly. Your loud proclamations of faith mean nothing when your hearts are so clearly filled with selfishness and evil.

November 13, 2019

Be Kind to Everyone

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Kindness has become a “thing.” You know. It’s having a moment of popularity in a world that seems increasingly filled with violence and hatred.

Except kindness was always supposed to be a thing. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit. It’s part of who we are called to be as children of God.

We know that. We do. Except for the exceptions. We don’t believe we should have to be kind – or nice – to people who aren’t kind to us. That whole love your enemies thing just isn’t reality. That’s what we tell ourselves and others anyway.

And surely we shouldn’t be expected to be kind to people who don’t have a job. We don’t need to know their story to understand that they’re nothing more than deadbeats expecting the rest of us to carry them. We don’t care what the Bible says about taking care of the poor. Surely God wasn’t talking about “those” kinds of people.

Let’s not even talk about being kind to liberals (or conservatives). They don’t have a clue of what it’s like to be a real Christian. They kill babies, give everything we’ve worked for to the poor and want to hand our country over to the communists. We don’t need to hear what they have to say.

We don’t need to bother with strangers. Why should we show kindness to someone we don’t know, someone who really can’t do anything for us? We’ll gladly help God’s people so long as they look, act and live like us. But only if we can give money. We’re just too busy to serve in any other way.

Anybody can show kindness to someone we know and love. We show our faith, we show Jesus, when we’re kind to everyone. Remember: It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about Him. Every time you slight someone, look down on someone, or refuse compassion, you are doing the same to Jesus.

May 11, 2019

Faith Reveals Itself

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. – James 2:17

In that dance that happens when you first meet someone, we discovered that we had a mutual friend. It bonded us in an odd sort of way. We had something, or in this case someone, in common.

“She lives her faith more than anyone I have ever known,” the woman said. I nodded in agreement. It was a genuine compliment that revealed an incredible truth.

Our friend isn’t a flashy, in your face type of Christian. She doesn’t go around slamming others or pushing a political agenda. Instead, she practices kindness and mercy in all that she does. She can debate issues, and does so, with facts and Scripture references. It’s not about politics or “acceptable” answers. It’s about what the Bible truly says.

There are those who call her liberal. I suppose in some ways she is. I see Jesus in her. He was somewhat of a liberal Himself while He preached the gospel on this earth. He wasn’t motivated by money or political correctness. He didn’t care too much for man-made rules. He taught God’s Word. He told us to be kind and merciful, to forgive everyone and to love everyone too. Yes. Our mutual friend is a lot like Jesus.

Being Jesus on earth isn’t about condemning others for not meeting our standards. It isn’t about judging what we don’t know and have no business commenting on. It isn’t about gossiping and political rallies and plucking out Bible verses to further our own agendas. It’s about living the life God has called us to live in the best way we can. It’s about showing others Jesus. My friend does that by how she lives her life. Do you?

March 5, 2018

Treat Each Other With Respect

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. – James 3:8-9

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

– Genesis 1:27

There it was again. The words slammed “liberals” this time. Not to worry. He slams “gays,” gun-control advocates, Democrats, and just about everyone who dares to disagree with his opinion. Then he turns right around and proclaims Jesus as Lord and Savior. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this?

He is a nice man. You’d like him if you met him. You really would. At least you would if you stayed away from politics. He just seems to lose all reason when it comes to his conservative agenda. He is not alone.

Honestly, I don’t care what your opinions happen to be. The First Amendment – everyone remembers that one I hope – guarantees the right to free speech. What bothers me are the mean attacks aimed at the opposing side. What happened to civility? What happened to staying on point and keeping ourselves focused on the issues? When did it all get to be so personal that we believe it’s okay to viciously attack someone, then proclaim God is good?

Every person was created in God’s image. I believe that because it’s what the Bible says. God loves equally the liberal and conservative person. God loves all of us, whether we acknowledge that love or not. So how can we look on someone created in God’s image and condemn that person all the while claiming to love Him?

I’ve had so many explain it this way: It’s my opinion. I’m entitled to my opinion. Yes, you are. The honest debate helps all of us be better people and find solutions to the problems our nation faces. Or, at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work in a democracy.

We look around and see hatred bubbling up everywhere. It’s always someone else’s fault. Then we start bashing people who disagree with us. It’s not about the issue, it’s about those “stupid” people who don’t think like we do.

The one thing we all seem to agree on is how bad Congress has become. The members can’t seem to get anything done. I wonder why? Could it be because they’re too busy catering to a shifting political agenda and their own pocketbooks to actually focus on honest debate and true solutions. That might require compromise. It might cause a loud backlash from voters. No one wants to believe that someone on the other side might actually make a good point now and again.

Congress is inept because we demand they be so. Those politicians look at us – loud, ugly children so intent on getting our own way that we can’t remember how to share – and decide to be just the same. When are we going to actually start living the faith we so loudly proclaim?

Jesus said to love each other. There is no place in Christianity for hatred. Whenever you point ugly fingers at those who disagree, you’ve pointed an ugly finger at someone made in God’s image. Stop it.

Look in the mirror and fix yourself. Choose words that focus on the issues, and not the person you disagree with. In all things, at all times, remember that person is someone God loves. Treat him with kindness and respect. Live the faith you so loudly proclaim. We’ll all be better people, a better nation, because of it.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Listen To What God Really Says

Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!” -- 2 Chronicles 14:11

We celebrate our country’s birthday today amid a sometimes bitter debate over philosophy and direction. Many proclaim God’s name as they argue their views, pointing fingers and spreading mistruths.

What is truth: God wants us to call on Him to lead and guide us. He wants us to live our lives according to what He actually says rather than what we wish He had said.

What? Well, that certainly didn’t go over well with some of those ultra-conservatives who claim the Republican platform is the only one that promotes Jesus. Because it isn’t. And, in some ways, it is the opposite of what the Bible actually says.

For example, we’re all in a tizzy about immigration laws. Some (conservative Republican Christians) want to fence our borders and deport everyone who can’t prove they’re here legally. The opposite side prefers to look the other way. Neither view is totally right or wrong on this complex issue. But what we know, what is clearly written in the Bible, is that we are to do good and show kindness and mercy to those foreigners in the land God has given us. Fear, hatred, mistreatment, ugly comments -- well, those things have no place in God’s world.

Health care reform is another big issue. The Bible tells us to share and care for those who have less than we do. How can anyone believe that Jesus wouldn’t support efforts to make health care available to everyone who needs it? Yet, they get so caught up in their own finances and their perceived unfairness of it all, that they can’t clearly see what God would have us do. I’m sure this plan isn’t perfect. No plan crafted by humans could or will be. But we are to share and care and provide for others.

That always brings us back to those who work and those who don’t, and those who have wonderful jobs with great benefits and those who have menial jobs with no benefits. The haves vs. the have nots. And it’s all the have nots fault. I had hoped that the last years of economic distress would show us that some people are unemployed through no fault of their own. Obviously, when it comes to politics it is always the struggling person’s fault.

Today is a day to celebrate our wonderful nation. The United States has so much more, does so much more, provides so much more, than most nations in this world. But we have pulled away from God and those leading that gap are the ones proclaiming His name the loudest.