I promised myself I wouldn't do this. It's nauseating to watch, I'm tired of hearing about it, and honestly it frightens me. I don't even want to know what's going to pop up on the news websites next. It's sad, it's frustrating, and a little embarrassing. But oddly, there's something about it that won't leave me alone.
Being in a bit of an odd place myself, having a child who brings a taste of discrimination to our family, I have felt the comfort and peace of Christ as we have felt left out, lonely, different, and even unwanted.
It bothers me not that people have convictions that differ from my own. It does not bother me that we are all free to share those convictions in this lovely country. I have enjoyed exercising free speech right here to express frustration and hurt and exhaustion, coupled with the lessons learned and the way my faith brings these lessons to light. While it does bother me that people don't understand why someone would want to live by the bible or give two cents for what it says, I know that is obviously due to my faith. I seek to truly live by faith in Christ, and believe that we are to live by the word of God. I believe that the bible is the word of God. I believe that these things do not make life easy, but they do make it wonderful! And if we believe that something makes life wonderful, why would we not want to share it? Why would we not truly want everyone to experience the peace and comfort we experience? I do understand that to many in this world, the past few sentences make me sound like a rambling loon.
I'm cool with that. I'm sticking to how I live, because I love it.
But the thing that bothers me is that we, as Christians and just as humans, tend to get so worked up, hot and bothered about something someone said that we lose our minds a bit. We forget ourselves. Being heard and agreed with begins to matter more than loving people. For Christians, everyone agreeing with us begins to matter more than taking the gospel to those who haven't heard, or don't believe. It bothers me that we get so distracted by one issue or another that we choose sides, slap labels, write slogans, and rail against with all our might. We pray against with all our might. We stand so firm in one issue that the one issue that means the most is tossed aside.
And Satan laughs.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't work toward making the world better, that we shouldn't be upset or bothered by the bible being ignored. Do you remember? We're supposed to feel out of place here. This world is not home. It's not supposed to be. This is a fallen, imperfect place full of imperfect, desperately sinful creatures of which I am among the worst. In how many ways do I ignore the bible's commands in a day? I do not want to count. I will tell you that I am confident that I need confession and repentance in my life every day.
Would you like your private life flashed on a screen for all to see? What if all of your thoughts were played on a public address system above your head. And the worse they were, the louder they blasted through the ears of people who love you. Respect you. Like you. Trust you. I'm not interested in that. Not at all.
Let us not forget, as we snap to choose a side over whatever issue is at hand, that the One who created this universe, set the stars in place, keeps the planets from colliding, and still takes time to make flowers and cloud formations that look like kitties... he hears and sees it all. He hears and sees it all and loves us anyway.
Why would Satan be laughing? When we pick an issue and bash people over the head with it, we often toss aside the fact that the same people we're injuring were created by the same God who created us. Who not only created us, but sent Christ to rescue us. We are called to share the gospel. We are called, every Christian on earth, to spread the good news of the love and saving power of Christ.
Next time we're tempted to jump on the next media bandwagon, let's ask ourselves... how does this further spread the gospel? Is this gospel-centered? Am I helping or hurting the chances that one more person might be saved?
I know that in our lives, there would have been many less tears if some people would have asked this of themselves before excluding, judging, or simply glaring. I have been to the point of having to sift away the chaff and decide if what is left is worth it, and I have been sent there by people distracted by something that made them uncomfortable. It's just that, in my case, it's my son's autism.
I hope, dear reader, that in every point I've tried to make, I've remembered that you have feelings. I pray that I've remembered that I'm not the center of the universe, and that my life is neither the best nor the worst there is to live. It is neither the best nor the worst; it is mine. It is tailored for me in ways I cannot understand, in the same way I cannot understand yours. My prayer is that you will come here and find hope and peace while reading about my storms and sunny skies, and that I'll have told you something that demystifies life with autism a bit more.
Thanks be to God for loving me, a sinner, and for the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that He provides.
Being in a bit of an odd place myself, having a child who brings a taste of discrimination to our family, I have felt the comfort and peace of Christ as we have felt left out, lonely, different, and even unwanted.
It bothers me not that people have convictions that differ from my own. It does not bother me that we are all free to share those convictions in this lovely country. I have enjoyed exercising free speech right here to express frustration and hurt and exhaustion, coupled with the lessons learned and the way my faith brings these lessons to light. While it does bother me that people don't understand why someone would want to live by the bible or give two cents for what it says, I know that is obviously due to my faith. I seek to truly live by faith in Christ, and believe that we are to live by the word of God. I believe that the bible is the word of God. I believe that these things do not make life easy, but they do make it wonderful! And if we believe that something makes life wonderful, why would we not want to share it? Why would we not truly want everyone to experience the peace and comfort we experience? I do understand that to many in this world, the past few sentences make me sound like a rambling loon.
I'm cool with that. I'm sticking to how I live, because I love it.
But the thing that bothers me is that we, as Christians and just as humans, tend to get so worked up, hot and bothered about something someone said that we lose our minds a bit. We forget ourselves. Being heard and agreed with begins to matter more than loving people. For Christians, everyone agreeing with us begins to matter more than taking the gospel to those who haven't heard, or don't believe. It bothers me that we get so distracted by one issue or another that we choose sides, slap labels, write slogans, and rail against with all our might. We pray against with all our might. We stand so firm in one issue that the one issue that means the most is tossed aside.
And Satan laughs.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't work toward making the world better, that we shouldn't be upset or bothered by the bible being ignored. Do you remember? We're supposed to feel out of place here. This world is not home. It's not supposed to be. This is a fallen, imperfect place full of imperfect, desperately sinful creatures of which I am among the worst. In how many ways do I ignore the bible's commands in a day? I do not want to count. I will tell you that I am confident that I need confession and repentance in my life every day.
Would you like your private life flashed on a screen for all to see? What if all of your thoughts were played on a public address system above your head. And the worse they were, the louder they blasted through the ears of people who love you. Respect you. Like you. Trust you. I'm not interested in that. Not at all.
Let us not forget, as we snap to choose a side over whatever issue is at hand, that the One who created this universe, set the stars in place, keeps the planets from colliding, and still takes time to make flowers and cloud formations that look like kitties... he hears and sees it all. He hears and sees it all and loves us anyway.
Why would Satan be laughing? When we pick an issue and bash people over the head with it, we often toss aside the fact that the same people we're injuring were created by the same God who created us. Who not only created us, but sent Christ to rescue us. We are called to share the gospel. We are called, every Christian on earth, to spread the good news of the love and saving power of Christ.
Next time we're tempted to jump on the next media bandwagon, let's ask ourselves... how does this further spread the gospel? Is this gospel-centered? Am I helping or hurting the chances that one more person might be saved?
I know that in our lives, there would have been many less tears if some people would have asked this of themselves before excluding, judging, or simply glaring. I have been to the point of having to sift away the chaff and decide if what is left is worth it, and I have been sent there by people distracted by something that made them uncomfortable. It's just that, in my case, it's my son's autism.
I hope, dear reader, that in every point I've tried to make, I've remembered that you have feelings. I pray that I've remembered that I'm not the center of the universe, and that my life is neither the best nor the worst there is to live. It is neither the best nor the worst; it is mine. It is tailored for me in ways I cannot understand, in the same way I cannot understand yours. My prayer is that you will come here and find hope and peace while reading about my storms and sunny skies, and that I'll have told you something that demystifies life with autism a bit more.
Thanks be to God for loving me, a sinner, and for the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that He provides.
This is excellent. Thank you for writing. I have a friend who no longer attends church because she can't separate the difference between special needs/gay discrimination. It's a thorny issue and we shouldn't be afraid to believe differently from the world and agree with God's word. However, there are things Christians do that create a bigger and bigger divide. I have always thought on of the biggest challenges as Christians is how to live in the world but not of the world, loving not the world's ways but loving people.
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