Monday, October 22, 2012

Breaking the Stereotype

Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."-Matthew 22:37-40


Unfortunately, many stereotype us as a bunch of judgemental people that shake their fingers in the faces of sinners telling them to repent or they'll be condemned.  They see us as tediously ramming the gospel down their throats, arguing about fine points of doctrine.  They imagine us as sour people who don't have any fun.  Some think that Christianity means following a bunch of archaic rules.  Some think we see them as bad people and that we turn up our noses at them.

But...we are all sinners, saved by grace!  How can we shake our fingers at people who are the same as ourselves?  The only difference is that we have received  the wonderful gift of grace.  As we grow in the Lord, our lives begin to change because we want to please him.  From faith comes good works.
As for sour?  We should be full of peace and joy through the Spirit.   We should light up every room we walk into.  What good does it do to argue?  Our greatest testimony is not our words.  It's our life and the way we live it. We should shine the light that is within us wherever we go.  We should be the people that others want to be around.
And as Christians, we shouldn't judge the world:
Do not judge, of you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.-Matthew 7:1-2

As Christians, our first and foremost calling is to love.  How much more people will want to come unto a loving Father than a misperception of God as an angry, judgemental tyrant.  Jesus, who is God in the flesh, said:
"A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."-John 13:34

Our lives are the greatest testimony of what we believe.  When we interact with people, our guiding principle should always be to treat them as Jesus did.  When people see us living this way, it will attract them like moths to a flame.  This world is full of lost, hurting, lonely people, so let's love them into the kingdom and break the stereotype that the world has!

Father, I pray that the lost and hurting world we live in will see the love that you've put in our hearts and come to you.

Wishing all of you blessings.

2 comments:

  1. Amen. As our hearts grow up towards God they should also grow out towards people!

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  2. Thanks for the comment, you are exactly right :)

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