“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord GOD is on me, Because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Isaiah 61;1 (NIV)
I’ve seen so much name calling lately it’s disheartening. It reminds me of my grade-school years and squabbling with my brother or sister. Unable to express myself in an adequate way, I used name calling to “get even” with them. I have since matured into understanding that name calling is a blatant admission of fear.
Hang with me here, because I’m going to step into some tender territory. But we’ve been together for almost a year now, and I’m hoping you have learned that my heart is for you. I’ve said it before and I’ll share again, I am in no position to throw stones. I’ve been there and done that. I’ve lived enough life to have made the same mistakes you make, twice if not three times … and then some.
Since we’ve shared some real conversations and because God has no grandchildren, I’m going to talk to you like a big sister. Allow me to preface with this: when it comes to growing in our personal relationship with God, there will always be someone ahead of us in the maturing process, and there will always be someone in the rough stages of the transformation process. So, there is grace here.
Over the years I’ve gained a better understanding of some of the reasons why Christianity gets a bad rap. No matter the argument, it really boils down to the fact that God has chosen broken, sinful human beings to be the place where He makes His home. He trusts us with representing who He is, what He’s like, and how He loves. How absolutely scandalous is that?
Ghandi once said, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
In the moment you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, His spirit breathed new life into your spirit. Before, you operated from your soul, but now that your spirit is connected with Holy Spirit, you embody the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead—a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. A spirit that breathes life into old places, gives sight to the blind, and brings good news to the depressed. You have been given authority to bring healing to the brokenhearted and share the truth that has the power to set the heart and mind of every human being free.
If we lived as if we believed the Bible was true, then we could live confidently in every situation of our lives. We’d have peace in remembering that we do not have to confront every opinion or shut down every voice in the arena of life, because if we can’t speak the truth in love then we are not qualified for the conversation. God would rather we sit quietly than to misrepresent Him. He’d rather people see our restraint as maturity in allowing people to have their own opinions even if they’re wrong. He does.
Remember when Starbucks said they were not going to say Merry Christmas? There was a guy who felt the need to say his name was Merry Christmas so that they would have to say it when they called his name. Remember the woman who would not sign the wedding licenses for gay couples because she was a Christian and knew that it was offensive to God? People, Christians included, called them all kinds of names. It’s times like that when as fellow believers we need to remember there is a maturing process to becoming Christ-like.
We may not agree with their decision but it was theirs to make. They are at a place in their maturing process where they felt the need to take this particular stance. And whose to say God was not asking them to make a stand? We don’t know whether He did or not.
All I do know is that I’ve missed the mark a time or two–I’ve embarrassed my brothers and sisters in Christ. Even these blog posts are written from my level of maturity at this particular time in my learning curve. There are people who lead me, others much further along in their walk along side Christ, learning His ways and His heart.
God does not need us to defend Him in the sense that we cannot make Him more God or less God whether we believe or do not believe, whether we do the right thing or the wrong thing. Our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are just like real family because sometimes we can’t say enough good things about them and then sometimes they embarrass us beyond words. But we still love them. We give them grace, encouragement and treat them like we want to be treated.
I feel sure that the caterpillar morphing into the vibrant butterfly is a painful process, because the transformational process we experience to bring our self-serving soul in line with our newly awakened spirit is the challenge we face when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It’s not endless days with clouds parting and an angelic choir announcing your next spectacular flawless decision.
To put others first, lay down our needs, sacrifice for love, serve expecting nothing in return, love your enemies and pray for them, too, does not come naturally. We need to be transformed by the unrelenting love of the One who paid it all on our behalf. The debt we owed He paid it in blood. His blood.
I love this quote by G.K. Chesterton because it’s an accurate statement when it comes to the difficulty of being transformed into the likeness of Christ.
”Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
When it gets super uncomfortable and I feel threatened, I have learned to stop and ask myself what is it exactly that I’m afraid of. What is my biggest fear in this situation? When I get to the root of that question, then I can have a better conversation and actually get to a solution vs an argument.
Let’s give each other a break because I sure do need them every now and then. Don’t be so consumed with setting someone straight. You can’t fix them and you can’t change them, but you can love them.
NOW LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take what you discover and hold it up to the Light to evaluate it against who God says you are.
- Do you feel the need to correct people? How is it received?
- Under what conditions do you feel people need to be corrected?
- Is there someone in your life who is always challenging others and keeping them accountable? How does that make you feel?
- Have you ever misrepresented Jesus? In what way?
- What do you think it means to speak the truth in love?
- What is one thing people need to remember when we see someone give the wrong message about who God is, how He loves, or His Son Jesus?
- Do you think people should use other peoples as examples when it comes to who God is, how He loves, or His Son Jesus?
Use God’s word to take control over traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts, take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises found in His word.
Print, then cut and carry this Scripture with you and/or post it in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s word says to encourage you and to give you an example of His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord GOD is on me, Because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Isaiah 61;1 (NIV)
Read the word of God and say to yourself: I have the power of the Living God alive inside me. Inside this shell of my body is the temple that the Holy Spirit chooses to dwell in. This Spirit gives me power and the ability to change my life, to be set free from guilt and shame. And as I walk out my new life this same power equips me to show others the way to an abundant life too.
Now LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
