Last week I had a dialog with a fellow Christ-follower about sharing the Christian faith with those who don't yet believe. The dialog came about because she emailed me about praying for someone to come to know her Savior.
Sometimes believers, because of the life-changing experience that resulted from their faith, can forget what it's like to be on the "outside" looking in. We can forget that not everyone is receptive to the Gospel and some just aren't interested in hearing it. And if we forget those things, or worse, are insensitive to those things, and we try to pursue someone and convince them without regard to their receptiveness we can do more damage than good.
Our purpose is to point people to Christ, by our words, sure. But more importantly by our lives. It's the impact of seeing someone filled with joy and hope and stamina through life more than our theological arguments that is most effective in "breaking the ice". Let them see Jesus being lived out in you.
Our purpose is to dialog not to argue and slam them for their equally strong held beliefs, whether they be in another religion or no religion at all. When we don't respect them (and respect doesn't equate agreement) and that lack of respect comes through in our words, we're not pointing. We're shooting. Shooting them in the heart with our perceived disrespect and shooting ourselves in our evangelistic feet.
And trust me. Shooting is always easier than pointing. I know. I've been a Gospel gunslinger.
Mohandas Gandhi is reputed to have said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Apparently he had seen enough of Christians shooting and not pointing.
Don't be concerned with notches on your belt.
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14 comments:
Amazing -- my pastor preached a VERY similar sermon here in Nashville today. I am Presby. (PCUSA). I really wish you could read it! I am following Nate, Tricia and Gwyneth's story in complete amazement. I enjoy your writing very much.
As an agnostic who doesnt follow any organized religion but does pray regularly but isnt sure she is heard-- I would love to see your thoughts broadcast to the entire Christian community. Those that preach to others without hearing do Christianity a disservice. Many people that I know are so disturbed by it that the whole of Christianity becomes about those who will curse you to hell for not believing or will not listen or let up if you dont believe. If God is a loving God-- I will be heard, I will not be cursed to hell just because I cannot put a name to my religion or pledge to a layman that I accept Christ. If you are to Judge Not, then do not judge me for my beliefs, love me as I am made and listen to me. There is nothing to gain by offense and much to be gained by empathy.
My thoughts are with your beautiful granddaughter and her mother.
Wonderful post!
Jeff
I am so glad you shared this great post today. I couldn't agree more. It is not our job to save people, it is the Lords. I believe that our only job is to make sure we live out our faith daily as your family is doing here, and Jesus can lead hearts to Himself through the example set. It is not our place to beat people up, the world does a good enough job of that. Like the song says, "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me". I am sure seeing it in Nate and Tricia and Gwenyth as they trust Him for every breath and heartbeat.
Laurie in Ca.
AMEN!
Good advice from a Pastor who knows how to love everyone, fellow workers and the lost.
Great post. I, like Andrea, am agnostic. It's hard for me to get past the fact that, although I lead my life with goodness, I will still (according to your doctrine) go to "Hell" when I die. Yet a man can come into my home and rape and kill my family, repent and accept the "Lord as his Savior" and go to "Heaven." I'm sorry - it just doesn't make sense to me. I'm not asking for a sermon here. However, I believe we can walk arm in arm and not see eye to eye.
(Not a sermon, just a response)
I guess we all can compare ourselves to someone else and say, "Morally I'm way better than that guy". But it's not others who set the standard for being morally right or good. There is only one person who qualifies as the standard, Jesus Christ.
I'd simply encourage you to pick up a Bible and read his story in the Gospels with an open mind. No sermons. Just that simple suggestion.
Rick - thanks for your response. Isn't there a commandment that says, "Thou Shall Not Kill?"
If so, isn't that a "moral standard?"
Sure it is.
It means "murder", which is as far as I know morally wrong in every culture.
I didn't give a very complete answer to your question, I'm afraid.
Yes, the commandment not to kill is a moral standard - part of God's law which was given to man to make it clear what was right and what was wrong.
The problem with such laws is that no one can keep them perfectly. Not only that, religious people easily corrupt such "laws" to make them appear "righteous" when they're anything but.
So along comes Jesus. He defies the religous morality of his day by demonstrating what the law was really all about: loving God and your fellow man with all your heart, soul and strength. By doing so visibly and openly he showed that his life was the fulfillment of the law.
That's why he is the standard. The law is words. He was a man who actually lived it.
Thanks again for your response. I don't want to keep taking up your time on an older post. But...are you saying that no one else in Jesus's day obeyed such "laws?" If I obey every "law" set by God, I still will go to "Hell" (provided that I still believe that Jesus was a mortal man and not the son of God)?
I just find so many discrepancies between Christians and feel that the Bible can be interpreted so many different ways - who is to say who is right and who is wrong? Some Christians think that man is above woman, some think interracial marriages are against what the Bible says, while others are okay with gay people.
My philosophy is "live and let live." If you are happy with your faith - great! But just don't tell me I have it "rough" without God. Good things still happen to me, and I am very fulfilled in my life (even more so, I think, than many of my Christian family members who struggle with what I call "Christian guilt").
Anyway, I do thank you for your time in addressing my thoughts/questions.
You're welcome. And I don't mind chatting with you at all. You ask honest and sincere questions.
As for keeping the laws, no one in Jesus' time, before Jesus' time or since has kept the law perfectly. Not me. Not you. Only Jesus did that. And He could do that only because He was God's Son.
His resurrection was confirmation that He was who He claimed to be.
You're absolutely right about "Christians" and our discrepancies. But please don't fault God with our inabilities to get it right.
I know many people who have little or no belief in God, yet live wonderful lives. And I know many professing Christians, as do you, who are miserable.
So let me encourage you to keep an open mind. Take on the challenge to read the Gospels and let Jesus speak for himself. He does a far greater job of that than I could ever do!
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