Being A Representation

May 26th,

   I was originally going to cover  "love" this evening but to be quite honest I lack the zeal in more than one way;  I did however have something small to say about representing your faith and felt led to share it even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

   An overly imposing, slightly overdressed man walking around quoting bible verses at people and shouting apocalyptic phrases like "repent before you burn!" seems to pop up in my head when someone mentions a christian protestor/evangelist. Sadly I've seen that same thing many times before and wondered just how many of us automatically link that when someone even says the word "christian".  I think there's a larger overarching problem here and although I cannot describe it in whole it seems to me to be a lack in personal relationship.

  A true relationship with Christ will ignite the genuine desire to worship, and within that desire to worship is not a guilt driven, nor fear based, but love driven desire to obey, and as we may well know spreading the personal sacrifice God has made for us is something he simply asks us to pass along. This brings us in the simplest way to evangelizing, and this is the heart of it, that we would reach out to others as Christ reached out to us; with a helping hand and a gentle word, giving someone what they need the most when they deserve it the least.  This kind of authentic and genuine invitation can only be given by those who have felt that same soft, loving, yet strong and bold tug on there own hearts who then turn and extend the same offer with the same grace to others. The offer of an eternal life with Christ through genuine belief in his name, and his power to forgive.

  So the next time you see someone publicly proclaiming their deeds or openly demoralizing the figure of others, perhaps in the name of Christ, instead of instinctually slapping on a label or even just laughing under your breath, think about them as one more person just like you and I; desperately needing someone to stand beside them, put an arm around their shoulder, and tell them a little about a personal god who personally gave everything for you and me and longs to see us live with love and compassion for one another just as he's always done for us.

John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.