Are you making a difference?
So, if all the Christians of the world came together and did like Jesus, that is, serving and not condemning…would the world even “want” to persecute us? Shouldn’t we be so “Christian” that the world would say “if we isolated them and killed them all off, who would provide the charity, love the unloved, help us in time of need?” I feel like that if things should be thought all the way through, we should be an asset to have around.
On to personal things..
As I worked in the secular realm (like everyone else) and now as I work in a predominately Christian environment, I see that there were a lot of NON believers what were considerably more considerate than some of the believers that I work with…it really makes me wonder more about true belief. In particular MY beliefs. If I believe, where is the transformation? Isn’t that what should happen? I used to always quote a verse that states,
“ 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
It repeats it again later in proverbs:
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man. [a]
And it really makes me curious…have I become lazy? Yes, I have.
The other night as my wife and I were having a discussion and the question came up, “What happened to the man that TRIED to be a better father instead of resolving to ‘this is who I am’?”
Obviously, it was insulting at first. But, wow what an accurate question. All these revelations, all this frustration, all this lack of the fruit of the Spirit…It’s got to be pointing to something. Yes, I long for my brothers to hold my feet to the fire. But, if I can only do it with accountability, is that a form of pride or idolatry? One of my children recently referenced in one of their blog posts that it’s where we turn when we have the struggles that matters.
When I was a new believer, when I would get down or upset, I would throw on some of my favorite secular music and get lost in my headphones. It was soon afterward that God convicted me to lose those CDs. That I was taking my issues to the wrong place. Now, it appears that my support group is something that God has removed from me….as I would take my troubles to them…
I am orphaned. But, there is a Father that is waiting for me to turn to Him. I have been a poor man’s version of a prodigal son. I don’t have an inheritance to blow…but, I have constantly sought my own outlets for my needs or fulfillment.
It must be time…it’s not going to get much clearer I guess. I just have to figure out how.
4 comments:
>>So, if all the Christians of the world came together and did like Jesus, that is, serving and not condemning…would the world even “want” to persecute us?<<
Yep, they would want to persecute us. They persecuted Jesus for being exactly like Jesus, to the point of death. *Should* they want to persecute us if we were being like Jesus, that is another question.
Actually, I think that if we were being more like Jesus, we would be persecuted more than we are now (John 15:20-21). However, that shouldn't take away from us our motivation to be more loving, serving others instead of ourselves, like Jesus did. We serve others because that is God's heart, and the action of the Spirit within us. Seeking and serving ourselves is quenching the Spirit.
>>Now, it appears that my support group is something that God has removed from me….as I would take my troubles to them…<<
I hear your point about not just relying on another form of helps outside of the Father. However, we are called to live and grow in a community of Believers (Hebrews 3:13). It is as much an indictment against your current spiritual family, and your brother you meet with weekly, as it is you.
It is also an opportunity for you to be used by God to bring growth to that family...
Les
I like the picture up on top.
Les,
I think you missed my point..or, I didn't make it well enough. I didn't say they wouldn't persecute us...I am saying it might make it more difficult for them to. In other words...if there is this guy that you really hate, however, he provided such great service in something that you viewed as valuable...I believe that even though I "hated" him, I would probably respect him. Kinda like that.
I have always wondered how things that were said directly to the disciples (in John 15, very directly) apply to us and would be interested to hear more of your thoughts on that. The scripture you referenced is very interesting. Especially the end of 20 "If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." and the lead in sentence, "20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master." which seem to tie into the final sentence of that paragraph, "But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'"
Oops, I didn't say how they tied together and why I thought it was interesting.
It seems that he was stating what "was" to be on the arrival of the Messiah. Not an act that would carry forever...and, that it references Jews only, not gentiles in regards to hating us and persecuting us. The Gentiles don't have "their Law"...that would need to be fulfilled, right?
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