While risking my life in Charlotte traffic today in an attempt to get some stuff done, I started thinking about how we live our lives. There is a certain member of my family who has appointed himself the spiritual guide to everyone. This is no exaggeration - I mean EVERYONE. It drives us crazy. At family gatherings everyone tries to hide-out or avoid him all together. He still finds us and corners us as starts telling us how he has it all together and how many people he "Led to the Lord" and that we should be doing the same and are we "saved" and would we like to be. It feels like being beaten with a Schofield Bible around the ears and neck. The problem is, we all know someone JUST LIKE HIM!!! Maybe a friend or co-worker or a co church-attendee. They have a corner on the market of "truth"
I do not believe that truth is relative. There are absolutes, otherwise the entire universe would come unraveled. As a Christ follower, I have to cling to truth everyday or my life would come unraveled. Redemption, grace, mercy - all of these are more than necessary . They are cornerstones of what I have chosen to be and believe to be truth. Some people have added their 2 cents worth and decided that that, too , is truth.
Not so.
Jewelry, makeup, music, card playing, mixed bathing (which sounds like a swim in a Kitchen Aid appliance), and a laundry list of other things have all been debated for years. Don't even get me started on alcohol and tattoos. We'll be here for days . . .
We have to decide, and fairly soon: what do we as Christ followers and human beings want to be known for? Do we want to be the ones who have all of the answers and all of the rules perfected so that we look righteous OR do we want to be the ones who love people (ALL people no matter if their lifestyle and choices don't match with what we believe to be true). This is a decision that we will have to all wrestle with as we journey with Christ.
1 comment:
It's possibly a maturity issue with this guy. I know I used to think similarly that it was who could act the most righteous wins the affections of God but I know now that this behavior is nothing but adolescent Christianity.
You hit it when you said "This is a decision that we will have to all wrestle with as we journey with Christ". I feel like a lot of Christians never 'get it'. And it's a hopeless feeling when those people spew what they spew in public and ruin Jesus for a lot of people.
But also feel like some people grow up and start loving people as Christ did. It's a journey, of course, and I hope I'm getting closer to how Jesus did it everyday.
Nice post, yo.
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