I think I am going
to be sick, but before I tell you why please know that this post is not be
construed as a political statement in any way shape or form. With that said, I think I am going to be
sick.
One of my least favorite times of life is the election
season. One of my most favorite events
that zaps my strength but fills my heart and fuels my passion is our
back2school outreach. Yet sandwiching
the back2school events is the political stances of every party and candidate
that seems to change often, get more and more inflated and help us, the
American people, be more and more confused.
You get me? I
think I am going to be sick. But what I
do know that no matter who is in the White House God is still our God. We still have a savior, the Son of God who is
Jesus. Our only hope is not a law, an
amendment, a politician, a church movement or anything else. Our only hope is Jesus Himself, and if your
hope is anything else, now you are sick.
There is no more pain felt by a human than when they are
let down or even slapped by someone they greatly love and respect. I firmly believe that we Christians have to
hold a few things tight. We need to live
out some common core principles that will help us do well. Again, this is not a political statement but
a spiritual thought.
We must be Jesus people.
That means the words of God and our faith means something. It isn’t like jello that wiggles this way and
that way with the wind or with new thoughts or with new people who have ideas
or want to lead. Truth must be held as truth. That is NOT man’s thoughts or opinion. This is God’s truth, what we find in
Scripture.
Stand with and live with high morals. That in no way gives us the right to judge or
put down anyone else. I believe that
people who choose faith also choose forgiveness and grace. We make each other stronger when we encourage
faith, when we help others live with hope, when we share what God is doing in
our lives and what He is teaching us in Scripture. And what is that? It is courage and honesty and love and
compassion and servanthood and so much more.
Colossians
3:12-17 NASB
So, as those
who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other,
whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also
should you. 14 Beyond all
these things put on love, which
is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one
body; and be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him
to God the Father.
Those verses are a big deal. I put forth in what I am sharing today that
we need to know that God has our back, and God will not leave us and always
loves us. Furthermore, our God desires
truth and great faith.
So, put on what lasts.
Set aside what doesn’t look like godly attributes. Don’t fold under the pressure of a political
party or what is called the greater good.
Stand firm in faith. Tell people
what God has done for you. Live with
truth. Look at those verses again.
Put on compassion.
Put on gentleness and forgiveness.
Put on love. Treat others with
love that lasts which is built on how God loves us. Call sin what it is, sin. Forgive others. Embrace grace.
There. I said
it. Yeah, I might be getting sick, but
now I have the medicine God intends.
NOTE:
Tomorrow is our son Ryan’s 13th
birthday; please join us in wishing him a very happy birthday (bring a card to
church, send him a note through me or Julie, do something… we are so proud of
him).
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