The song that keeps going through my mind is “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love,” but I know that’s not true, unfortunately. It’s something that weighs heavily on me. I couldn’t finish this post in time for yesterday morning because I kept re-writing it, watering it down so as not to offend anyone. Politic’s influence on the Christians’ testimony is what I desperately want to talk about.
Please understand when I use the words “we” or “us,” I don’t mean we or us here specifically. I mean the Christian body in a broad/general sense, just as I mean “unbelievers” in a general sense. I really don’t like to generalize, but it’s a general type of situation. I hope you understand what I’m saying.
What troubles my heart is what non-believers see when they look at the Christian population as a whole. Unbelievers watch us. They watch how we handle worldly “things” and how we react and interact. On the one hand, they don’t “like” us because they feel we’re judging them. On the other hand, they’re judging us for not being above the fray.
When they see us “hating” people who think or believe differently than we do instead of loving one another and forgiving one another, it makes them think twice about any testimony we share. How can we say that submitting to Jesus has changed us or that we’re image-bearers of Christ when we’re so divided about worldly things that it interferes with our relationships, families, church body? So many are running around with short fuses allowing any wrong or disagreement to set us off on a tirade. Marriages are breaking up because of politics. Families are divided because of masking and vaccine beliefs. Entire denominations are splitting in two because of worldviews.
“We are sent out into the world to love one another. Sometimes we live as if we were sent into the world to compete with one another, or to dispute with one another, or even to quarrel with one another.”
William Barclay (1907-1978)
Unbelievers see the wedges that divide us. They hear the hate in our voices when we try to out-shout our brothers and sisters with our opinions. If we shared the gospel with as much vigor as we share political memes, I believe the world would be a better place. Jesus commands us to love. That should be our focus. That should be our message.
We need to abide in each other as Christ abides in us. By doing that, we abide in Him. God created each one of us to be unique. If we choose to only love those who are just like us, that’s just self-love.
“Unity instead of rivalry, trust instead of suspicion, obedience instead of self-assertion must rule the disciples’ common labors.”
Merrill Chapin Tenney (1904-1985)
Please pray with me for a spiritual awakening among the church body. We need to be united and display the love of Christ through these unprecedented times. Give unbelievers something wonderful and awesome to see, a love, a peace, and a joy that can only come from a commitment to the One true living God.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. John 15:12-17 ESV
Similar topics from my previous blog:
Please join me this week in praising our Father for being the loving, caring Vinedresser. Ask Him to show you which type of branch you are. Ask Him to lift up those branches which are not bearing fruit. Ask Him to show you how you can help in the vineyard. Let’s also pray that the Holy Spirit continually work with our loved ones and us so that we may completely abide in Jesus.
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