I'd like to start out with lyrics from an amazing Casting Crowns song that's a little older, but sadly still ringing true...
"But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? Jesus is the way"
How do we fix this problem?!? As believers, Christians and, the Body shouldn't we be the first to initiate the love? Shouldn't we be the first to show Jesus in any situation? Shouldn't we set the example that we learned from Jesus? But instead we find ourselves gossiping about anyone that might look different, act different, or talk different. We have to stop judging others! We all have a past some of ours may be a little messier than others BUT bottom line that's what it is the past! You didn't get to where you are now by yourself or over night! Someone helped you, someone gave you a chance, someone reached out to you, someone showed you love! So how can we see someone that needs the same thing we all did at one point in time and not reach out a hand? How can we point the finger and talk down about them? How can we make anyone feel anything less than accepted! How did we get here! We live in a world full of sin, where society tells us that everyone should act a certain way, dress a certain way, and have X amount of money to be accepted! Well we ALL need to constantly be reciting Romans 12:2 which says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." STAND UP AND STAND OUT! BE BOLD!
I'm not saying we need to figure out how to be perfect! Nor am I saying that I am perfect by any means! But we all need to strive to be better today than we were yesterday! Progress! Progress! Progress! Because we do live in a dark world, so we need to be the light! The more you choose love and doing the right thing, the easier it will get and then conviction will settle in and help! :) Draw close to God each day! Ask for forgiveness and thank him for his patience as we get better! Read the word, seek out friends in Christ, and be the change you want to see! It takes so much more courage to stand out against the crowd! Think to yourself for 5 seconds what if that were Jesus.. how would you treat him? Would you talk about how weird he is, how awful his clothes look, make fun of the way he worships or, complain that he never says hi? So why would you do that to his sons and daughters?!? Matthew 25:40 says #REDLETTERS "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" There are so many scriptures about gossip, how foolish it is, and how disliked it is by God! If we as believers portray this often what kind of picture are we painting for someone that doesn't yet know God?! Do you think that they will want what we say we have if all they see is nonacceptance?! If we as believers talk the talk but don't walk the walk meaning, we talk about being saved but don't act any different, will ANYONE want what we say we have?! If you are saved by grace through faith and believe that Jesus, the son of God, died on the cross for your sins, you should be different! You should be changed! Because Jesus lives in you!! As we approach Easter let's remember what and who he died for! Remembering also that he would have done it all even for you alone, or the one you might have just made fun of...