I was baptized at 32.
I was doubter, questioner, I guess agnostic up until then, so I guess I don't get it.
I see it in my family of people who have grown up in the church and I see it in others who grew up in the church, this callousness that we can develop with cynicism.
Jesus becomes a fall back, an emotional entity when we feel compassion. He's not an every day, want to live for entity.
And I guess that's why I don't get it.
What I don't get is the consistent lambasting and arguing of believers online. I mean, seriously, what difference are we making? In fact, we're probably turning more people away by behaving that way. We may feel better about ourselves, but we're just tickling the ears that agree with us and angering those who disagree.
And in that group, there may be someone leaning one way or another and your interaction can push them one way or another.
Look, I am not perfect, in fact, I am as far away from it as you can probably get and still be legal. I am too emotional sometimes especially when someone or something I love is attacked. Call it the small town Indiana in me, but I have a chip on my shoulder. But in the old days, I would keep a list of enemies in my head of people I would have nothing to do with anymore. Now, I realize I have probably failed in many ways and I try to ask for forgiveness.
But in a very real world that we live in, people are hurting. People are struggling mentally and physically and I don't want to add to it....intentionally.
So when it comes to illegal immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ, atheists, etc, etc, etc...I have an opinion. In fact, I have many thought out opinions that probably most of you or many of you would disagree with and I am ok with that. And I am really ok with keeping those opinions off social media. Face to face, we can have a talk, I am good with it, but I am not going to turn people away from Jesus because of...well, me and my behavior.
All of those above groups and every other group from divorced people, people in prison, murderers, rapists, child molesters, every single person on this planet, I am going to love and hope that they ask for repentance because I believe that no one is outside the grace of God through Jesus. And I truly believe that we all need is to accept that grace.
My issue is I do not want anyone to reject Jesus because as a follower of Him, I have given them a reason to not want to be in the "club" when we all need that club in our daily lives and for the life after this one here on Earth.
We have laws in this country, yes, I believe that, but there are people here legally, illegally, I don't care, I am going to help and love them if I can. My job is not to enforce the law, my job is to enforce the love of Jesus. I support our lawmakers, I support the laws being enforced, but I do not support or enforce the dislike or hate of the law breaker.
I can't
Because I am a law breaker too.
Thank God (literally) for Jesus!
I have been asked and written about this before, but I give money to the homeless on the street, I will give money to people who ask me at a gas pump for help to get to wherever they're going and I know, absolutely know that I have been taken advantage of before.
My belief is that what I do in that situation is between me and God, what they do with my help is between them and God.
I'd rather be taken advantage of 100 times and be right once, than to be taken advantage of 100 times and be wrong that one time when I could have helped.
I write this to remind you, and me, that we need checked from time to time, that we need to look in the mirror and figure out are we being consistent?
Are we being consistent on what we say we believe and how we live that out.
I wish you well.
