I believe we are in the days, among a culture, that requires us as believers to be able to articulate our beliefs. We need to be able to express compassion through our testimony which allows the hearer to respond freely to the work of the Holy Spirit.
God gives us each free will so we can choose for ourselves. There is no need to make someone feel pressured or "less than" because they do not "get it" or if they disagree with us. We must have faith and demonstrate a faith that believes the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of our loved ones even if they appear to be hostile.
We can plant the seed and trust God to complete the work. We may be the one who gets to harvest it but we may not. Either way I will rejoice in knowing that My God is big enough to bring my loved ones Home.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear ~ 1 Peter 3:15
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ~ Acts 16:31
Do you ever find yourself in a conversation and suddenly you
are “hijacked” and taken down a path you do not want to go?In the Christian community, this happens all
too often.Sometimes these topics come
from the most unlikely sources.I have
been guilty of the same error in my journey and continue to catch myself even now.Lord, forgive us for our prideful attitudes!
I struggle with how to handle these “hijackings”.I want to be bold and pull out the scripture
that addresses the situation.However,
all too often I am unprepared.If you
are wondering what I am talking about, allow me to provide an example.You are talking with a dear friend and the
conversation turns into a critique of the pastor or a fellow believer.Notice I said “critique”.This is not an expression of concern for
their well-being but a list of how they are falling short of expectations.This breaks my heart.First I am reminded not to judge.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For
with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use,
it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your
brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you
say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank
is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ~
Matthew 7:1-5
Now, does this mean that I do not see the “shortcomings” of
the person they are talking about?Not
at all!I do see it.Scripture cautions us in two ways:Do not judge and look for fruit.
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks
evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the
law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There
is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge
another?” ~ James 4:11-12
“Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes
or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad
tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” ~ Matthew 7:15-18
As a believer, we have a responsibility to preach or share
the gospel and to train others to share the gospel.If we truly see error, we have a
responsibility to go to the person not everyone else.If God has given you the nudge to go talk
with them, do it in a spirit of humility and through the power of the Holy
Spirit.We have a Master and need to be
about His business.If the Lord has not
impressed you to talk to the person, then make it a matter of prayer.Only He can bring that person back into line.
Another thing that I notice in scripture is that Jesus was
the most upset with the religious crowd (Pharisees and the scribes). They knew the Law and could not see or hear
Jesus because of their pride.
"Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs
which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s
bones and all uncleanness" ~ Matthew 23:27
None of our “talking”
about others is helping anyone.If fact,
it can be harmful to our relationship to the Lord and the Church.Paul addresses the issue of unity in the Body
of Christ.
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to
walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and
gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all." ~ Ephesians 4:1-6
In conclusion, we all need an occasional checkup to see if
we are in “The Way” or “IN the way”. Is
your life a testimony to the goodness and graciousness of Christ? Or do you advertise your dissatisfaction with
the church and its members?
