One thing I'm very excited about is the chance that this provides us each to talk about our positions, our dreams and our aspirations. What a positive thing it is to find out really what is on the hearts of those we care about. In just a few short days, I've had a chance to share my "faith story" with many people. It seems for whatever reason (perhaps the election, perhaps the economic recession, and most likely because God is ordaining these conversations) that people are hungry to hear what God is doing in our world. I have to admit not all of these conversations have been productive or uplifting. Some people have been holding so tightly to their bias that they are unwilling to entertain someone else's position much less to pursue a relationship with them. This is what saddens me the most. Because we know truly that all division amongst us comes from The Enemy and not from God.
I'm saddened that so many of my Christian friends are walking around with their heads held low. I can understand that the winning candidate stands in opposition to God's laws in many areas - but God ordains all leaders and our hope is in so much more than a candidate or a president.
I'm saddened that others are behaving as alarmists and already to proclaim God's judgement on our nation. True we do know that standing in opposition of God has never worked in the past but we also know that no one is more powerful than God. And we've also seen from our 2 centuries of democracy that nothing moves quickly in government.
I'm saddended to say that even some of my Christian friends are holding so tightly to their bias that they are putting rules in front of relationship with others as they are talking with them. What we must realize in this hour is that religion will never save the world. The more we hold to doctrinal differences show division amongst the Church, the more people stumble who are truly searching for something stable in the source of strife. We know ultimately that the only thing that will provide this stability in someone's life is a relationship with Christ. Yet, if we don't seek relationship first and only hold on to religion or rules, we will never have a relationship with others and likely they will never see Christ. Just in the last few days, I have been told that this church or that denomination is right and this church or denomination is wrong. I've been corrected for studying the Bible incorrectly. I've engaged in conversations where people have given up on the Church completely. This breaks my heart and I'm sure it saddens Jesus when His children are divided.
Think for just a moment how much more effective it would be if we were to rejoice that in today's world there are still people searching for God. They are opening their Bible out of willingness to hear from Him. They are willing to step up to serve Him in a world that rewards serving only self. Rather than telling them they are studying incorrectly, we could praise God for what they are learning, pray for the Spirit to be their counsellor and guide, and seek relationship with them instead throwing denominational differences in front of them. If we continue to hold to our "rules for religion" we are no better than the Pharisees that Jesus chastised ...
Matthew 23:27 , "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."
Today in these turblent times, I think it is more important than ever that we as God's people stand united and continue the everlasting mission of the Church; to proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior of the world. This can only be done by way of relationship... not by way of rules.
Today won't you seek relationship in stead of being a stumbling block for someone else finding Christ?
