Banging People Over The Head With Bible..Not A Great Idea

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs--beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Matthew 23:27

For people who are not frequent church goers many may have the idea of Christians being ‘religious’ or ‘Bible thumpers’ or worst yet ‘banging people over the head with their Bibles’. Hopefully no one reading this fits in to any of these three categories. To win people to the Lord it does not take screaming at them or condemning them but instead kindness. After all Jesus was kind wasn’t he?

The woman caught in adultery was told to go and sin no more. Zacheus the tax collector had Jesus eat a meal at his house. The thieves hanging on the two crosses next to Him were forgiven. No hatred, anger, berating, acting self righteous but a show of kindness and mercy. 

When you act like you are perfect or better than someone obviously you are not. Feeling smug and sinless is not a good way to be. But how many people do you know who are won to Christ by being condemned or screamed at? Not too many I would suppose. Go and let your everyday journey be a witness to God’s love and be ready to share if someone asks you about the hope you have inside of you. 

PRAYER: Your steadfast love never ceases. I pray for the ability to share your love with kindness and grace should anyone approach me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Dealing With Sourpusses

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Half full or half empty. Positive outlook or doomsday. Happy go lucky or burdened and angry. When I hear of people who are less than pleasant to encounter I tell friends to give them a dose of this lemonade each morning then pray. You can't force someone to be nice but we can pray.

 Various things cause irritated people. Being ugly, rude, mean spirited after just praising God in church makes no sense yet how many readers may have encountered a family scenario of just this? Kindness is always supposed to be the order of the day but not all embrace it.

 Arguments happen and meanness occurs and yet some feel justified in this response.

If you are the recipient of ugliness blow it off then pray for this person. If you have been convicted of being the hurtful one go apologize and start anew being kind.

PRAYER: So many times Lord when others are mean to me or hurt me somehow I just want to run. Instead show me how to respond with Christian love and of itself behave ugly help me ask forgiveness. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Name Calling And Being Loving

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. James 3:14-16

Those of us who are Christians are supposed to be recognizable as different to the world. Our light is supposed to shine for the glory of God and our actions and speech should likewise reflect the love of Christ. I have been called a moron, an idiot, a stalker, exasperating, and other names by both strangers and even a few former friends. Thankfully never to my face but still it hurts.

If you are claiming to know Jesus do you love those who love you even those you may not see eye to eye with you politically or otherwise? Do you gossip about a 'friend' behind their back? Are you jealous of another's success, looks, life experiences? If you have hurt someone can you say you are sorry or if you have been hurt can you let it go regardless of how the other person treats you? Shame on brothers and sisters in Christ for wounding others with their words. We should know better. Even harboring bad thoughts or dislike in your heart is wrong. If you struggle in this area God can set you free if you want to be free.

Start today and if envy is your problem try to rejoice with those who rejoice. Also if you have trouble liking or loving someone ask God to help you love with His love. Start changing your bad or jealous or hateful attitude and do it for Jesus!

PRAYER: Help me Lord never be guilty of thinking bad of those who I may not agree with. Help me not be jealous of another. I choose to love even when it is hard and to know you hold the future. In Jesus' name. Amen.