Today's blog might ruffle some feathers.
1 Corinthians 13:4 - 7(NIV) reads,
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
This morning I was wondering, what would this look like if I replaced the word love with the word Christians?
"Christians are patient, Christians are kind. We do not envy, we do not boast, we are not proud. Christians do not dishonor others, we are not self-seeking,we are not easily angered, Christians keeps no record of wrongs. Christians do not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Christians always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere."
Do we look like that? Would an honest look at the church today be described that way by anyone?
Long before today's political agendas existed, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to write these words and describe love in these terms. This is how the church of Jesus Christ is to behave, all the time. There is no room for exceptions, Jesus Christ told us to even love our enemies.
Do we? Is this what the dying world sees when they look at us?
Is this what we show? Is this the standard we measure our Facebook postings by? (ouch)
This world is not our home. No matter how much we would like it to be, it is not. Jesus Christ said in his prayer to the Father, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." John 17:16-18 (NIV)
We are meant to be a light, so that all people may find Jesus Christ. Everything we say, everything we do, how we live our lives need to point to Jesus Christ.
God is patient with the world, not desiring that any should perish but that all may believe (2 Peter 3:9).
Are we?
Love God, love people, do something about it.
