Christian friends, Please be mindful of the way in which you approach others (friends, strangers, acquaintances) relationship with God and the church. Just as we can be a vessel for the Holy Spirit, so can we be a vessel for Satan (without even knowing it). A friend who has been separated from church for several years recently shared with me that she was considering going to go to church on Easter Sunday, but then she reconsidered. The reason she did not go, primarily, was because of a conversation she heard amongst some coworkers criticizing the Chri-Easters (people who only attend church at Christmas and Easter). Not wanting to be hypocritical, or one of THOSE people, she stayed home. So, essentially- it was other church-attending Christians who DIScouraged my friend from attending church. Their words preyed on her own insecurities. Surely had they known how their words would have affected my friend, they would have made a different choice. Just remember- any time you criticize anyone…you never know who is listening. They may not make a point of letting you know, but your words can hurt them just the same. As Christians, arent we called to ENCOURAGE others- to invite and welcome ALL who seek to know Jesus? So before you make fun of someone for how they dress, how they look, who they love, who they vote for, where they work, or what they believe…please remember that Jesus loved people exactly where they were at. It was LOVE that drew people to him, not rhetoric. He hung out with thieves and murderers; poor people; whores; sinners- those were the people who most needed his message. Those people were PRECISELY who he came to save. So lets be more like Jesus: more humble, less pompous; more focused on the worth in peoples souls and less on their finances; more inclusive and less racist; more open-hearted and less blindly-restrictive; more empathetic and less condemning. There is a reason so many people have turned away from the church- and it is within our power to change that…it starts by looking within. Whos with me? :)
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 17:51:46 +0000