I must confess that I'm an impressionable person. I'm a salesman, by trade and by heart. I love to influence, and honestly, I love to be influenced. I don't know that I'm the guy that people call for ideas, but if you come up with an idea that I can get behind, I'll sell your idea.
I've never come up with, or thought through anything new on my own, for all Truth is God's Truth and already exists. As Rob Bell puts it in his book, "Velvet Elvis," our job as Christians is to go through the world pointing out the truth of God. Our job is not to be right. When we become "right" we are separated from those we see as "wrong". John Fisher says that Jesus never sees the world as "wrong" so much as he sees it as "lost." What a great way to put our job in reaching the world.
Today I had a great, and revealing, conversation with a girl at work. She and I were talking about different kinds of churches and denominations. She mentioned that her husband doesn't like churches that are too "evangelical." I asked her to explain what she meant, and she said that he doesn't like it when he feels like the church is "pointing it's finger at him." Wouldn't it change the world forever if Christians put the fully-loaded pointer finger back in the holster and opted to bring light to the presence of God in the world instead. Our job is not to be right, but to declare the Glory of God. To point out His acts of power, provision, artistry, healing, compassion and the like.
So what does this have to do with my influence? Again, I love to influence and be influenced. But I really have to be careful not to see God in this world through my eyes and proclaim that as the only truth, like somehow I've figured it out. You see, we all see the world differently, but that makes us the same. We all have different ways of finding God in the world. Instead of pointing a finger at an unbeliever, condemning their sin, howabout digging into their soul to find out how they think God speaks to them? You never know what your influence might teach you about the Truth of God in the world.
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2 comments:
At work, i've never been shy to reveal my beliefs, and how I feel about divisive issues. I try to have an open ear, but a defined mind. In this atmosphere, we get the chance to talk openly very often, and sometimes it's difficult to walk that thin line of being offensive or being principled. Where I work I run into hundreds of people per day from all walks of life and varying lifestyles, but I seem to have successfully portrayed my Christianity on a number of occasions that I found really encouraging. The most prominent example being how I interact with those living a homosexual lifestyle. I have rejoiced as I've seen friends I know that live this way open up and ask me questions about God, church, history and what the Bible has to say about things.
What Mike is saying here is right on the money. We often think that because "believing comes by hearing the Word of God" that means we must exude judgemental rules in front of their faces or make them feel judged - literally, or just by our demeanor. But the "Word of God" (Jesus) served and loved these people in the MIDST of their sin. Though he was perfect, he never said "I'm living a much holier life than you, you're going to hell living like this". He allowed the Father to reveal truth through the Spirit. And it works!
Within the last year I had a gay acquaintance tell me, "Eddie you are the first Christian that I felt like I could talk to that didn't make me feel like they felt better than me. I am interested in religion and the Bible, but no one will talk to me because I'm gay. Thanks for being open to me." I was able to share the simple gospel with him for the first time in years. I hope I have never made anyone feel that way, and that James is not an exception. I hope I can learn more about touching the broken and reaching out to the lost with the same care and love that Christ did.
Mike,
Hey it's Don and Jen Gulley! What's up my old friend. We were looking all over the internet for you and final found your name. I couldn't find an email so i thought i would post a comment and see if you get this...Let me know how you are doing.
Don.gulley@gmail.com
www.dongulley.com
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