"You shouldn't hang around with me," an acquaintance said to me recently.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well..." they responded hesitantly.
After proceeding to run through their list of wrongs, they seemed surprised by my response.
Perhaps they expected me to gasp in horror, start chanting in Latin, sprinkle them with Holy Water, hit them over the head with the Bible, scream "YOU NEED JESUS" and storm out of the room.
Instead, I merely said: "You're a good person, and don't ever think otherwise."
"No I'm not," the individual responded, "I'm going to hell."
I joked that if I met them there, we could party. They chuckled a bit, but my statement didn't help their cause much. "You have poor judgement if you say I'm good."
What I thought to myself was, but Jesus made you good. That's the fact, and it's the truth...the fact that you acknowledge that your actions are wrong means you are good. The fact that you desire to be good, though it doesn't make you virtuous, means that you are, in essence, a being created for good. Don't sell yourself short of that.
But I didn't. I continued to joke around, talk with them, share my own shortcomings, help them to realize that their actions do not define them.
So that proposes a question:
Surely, the Bible talks about smiting the wicked, refusing to advocate their actions, and standing firmly against evil. Isaiah prophesied that even Jesus would "Slay the wicked with the breath of His lips." (Isaiah 11:4) and Ezekiel had several spiels on alerting the unrighteous of His sinfulness. But didn't Jesus also say, "Do not judge, that you too may be judged." (Matt 7:1)? What do we do?
As Christians, we are called to avoid the near occasion of sin by avoiding people or things that could lead us to it. If you're a recovering alcoholic, it's your responsibility to evaluate whether you are in a fit state to spend time with people who drink and when to spend that time with them.
But if you're faced with a person whose actions are wrong, do you avoid friendship with them? Do you hit them with a Bible? Do you lecture them? Do you keep your mouth shut?
Well, as always with questions such as these, there's no easy answer. I personally believe that the solution lies ultimately in leading by example, and opening your heart to allow God to do so. By acting like Jesus as much as we are able, we show love, we show assertion, and we show holiness. Instead of focusing on being "too good" or "too bad" in hopes of fitting in or giving off the right impression, focus on being you. Keep one foot firmly planted in the world and the other firmly planted in heaven. Strive to heaven, but enjoy the good things of the world.
In this manner, you seem real and grounded. You're not perfect, but people see a light in you where perhaps, in their own hearts, they see only darkness. Like a lamp on a stand, they will flock to you like moths in the light. (Then it's kind of a freak show and you start to wonder "why the heck are all the creeps here?" ... Trust me, it happened to me. But it's for the best, they'll be introduced to Jesus.)
That's when the problem begins. People tell you their wrongs; they share their loss, their brokenness, their pain with you. And you stand there feeling confused, angry, concerned...and a bit lost yourself.
You want to preach at your friends. Say, "No! You're wrong! That's evil!"
You want to love your friends and agree with them completely. "You're right, that's okay, it's justified."
Where's the middle ground?
"We all make mistakes. What you're doing is wrong and if you continue along this path, I cannot walk with you; but I will pray for you. I love you. And I will always, always be here for you when you come back. Even though I cannot approve of your choices, I will still be your friend."
What? A NON-JUDGMENTAL Christian? They'll be stupefied!
By acting like Jesus, we love the sinner but condemn the sin; we do not define a person by their sin. We do not define a criminal by a crime. We do not define a person's worth by shortcomings or their choices; because their worth is firmly grounded in God, whether they know it or not. God made them Good, and the world has crudely broken them. But the Hands of God are there to restore, to build up, to make new.
For Jesus has made them new. All they need to do is turn their hearts toward Him.
YOU are the Hands of God in this world. God will restore, build up, and make new through YOU. "To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. See, I place my words in your mouth; this day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build ant to plant." (Jeremiah 1:7-10)
We need just allow Him into our hearts, and be willing to convey His message, trusting that the Holy Spirit will use us as He sees fit.
Ultimately,
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." (John 8:7)
No comments:
Post a Comment