If you read last weeks blog post you know that I was slightly upset by an encounter I had with another group of people that called themselves believers of Christ. I was upset on a number of levels. 1. I was upset by the natural reaction they had to us and the “Assumption” that we had bought a lie and needed witnessed too. 2. I was upset at the reaction of those I was with. “These guys were suffering from a spirit of Religion and they needed set free.” 3. I was upset at my reaction. “I have begun to move beyond that shallow thinking why can’t you?” Now let me ask you. Which of these reactions was the one that brought honor to God? .... I am going to assume you answered “None of the above” because I’m not sure any other answer can be justified. No, I’m not still kicking myself for my response and no I’m not mad at the others for the way they responded but I still have to say no I’m not over it yet. Yes, I’m over the frustration, yes I’m over the anger. But I’m not over the lesson that we should take home. I hope I never get over that. It is my goal to take the lessons learned from life’s observations & screw up’s and use them to grow. If not what good are they?
So what did I learn? What am I going to do with this information. 1. I’ve learned (or relearned) that there is a definite spirit of division in the church today. 2. I recognized that I am not above it. 3. It is important to fight against this spirit so it doesn’t over come us. So what are you going to do about it Larry? I’m glad you asked.
First: I am committing myself to never argue with a stranger about Christ. I am a firm believer that arguing doesn’t lead anyone to Christ. This doesn’t mean I wont discuss Christ and my belief or listen to others opinions but I will not let it move into an argument. Arguments only create ill will.
Second: I will do as we discussed the last couple weeks and “Test the spirits” This means that as I meet new people before we get into any discussion on religion I will ask them about their faith in Christ. If they are a believer in Jesus Christ and have accepted him as savior I will seek to find more common ground. Even if I recognize uncommon ground first I will skip that and continue to seek for common ground. No this does not mean that I will always ignore differences it only means that I want them to know that I recognize and respect them as a brother over our differences. If they are not a believer in Christ I will still seek to find common ground over attacking their unbelief. This way they know that I care for them either way and my desire to show them Christ comes from a caring for them not some religious fervor.
Any other steps will be determined according to the type of friendship that is developed. Do I expect to ever see them again? Are we working together daily, once a week, once a month?
If it is not a person I am meeting but an organization of some sort I will follow the same steps. I will not assume that a church follows Christ, I will not assume that a non-profit (even a religious one) follows Christ, I will not assume that someone I meet at church follows Christ. I will not assume because of their background or denomination that they do not follow Christ. No more assumptions and if I meet someone that is making assumptions I will be sure they realize that they are just that “Assumptions”
My friends we are in a war with a very cunning enemy. This enemy wants more than anything to divide our ranks. We cannot allow this to happen. We must put in the system “checks and balances” to ensure this does not happen. I have told you what mine are. As I progress in this life I may find a weakness in these checks and make a few adjustments. You can choose to follow these as well if you would like or you can come up with your own. But I challenge you to do it. Not only in this area but in other areas of your life as well. How do you check your growth in Christ? How do you know you are getting the best training possible? What about your fellow warriors brothers and sisters in Christ?
The good news is WE ARE ON THE WINNING TEAM! But there are still battles to be fought. Are you prepared to withstand the attack? Are you ready to go into battle? The enemy screwed up last week and revealed a weakness lets seal it and go out in one accord.
Have a great week Gang. As always lets “Live it Upside Down”
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