August 2, 2011

• Passionate or Critical?

  I have a facebook. Statuses on facebook can offend me sometimes. They are usually the statuses that are opinionated against something one doesn’t agree with or one doesn’t like. Now I am not talking about people speaking out against truly evil things – I am talking about just being snarky about something that personally irritates them – or coming across as being more intelligent or sophisticated than some section of society.  Even if it is something I agree with -  if it is said with disgust or a “why are people so ignorant” attitude it gets under my skin like those bugs on The Mummy.

  Well Sunday night was a zinger – I thought about canceling my facebook because I was just sick of people’s negativity. Blake calmly told me to stay on for the sole reason of it being an easy way to stay connected to our teenagers outside of youth – so I did. But I was just plain offended. I asked the Lord, “Isn’t that just so very snobby for people to flash their personal negative opinions or their specific aversions on facebook just because they can? Do they ever ask themselves why they are doing that? What their motive is? Don’t they see they are trying to make certain people feel stupid?”

  And of course like God does so well, He pointed out the plank/s in my own eye.

  Boy do I have some personal negative opinions and aversions! I don’t think I put them on facebook – I should go back and check myself, but either way, I have them – and often share them with a listening ear… I was quickly reminded by my conscience about my weekly trips to Target to get snacks for youth on Sunday evenings. It happens the same every week. I am in a hurry. “Why am I in a hurry?” you ask – Because that is the way I live. Even my postman has said to me, “You are always in such a hurry!”

  Anyway…. back to Target… I live in a place that is notorious for being laid back. The culture around here is to enjoy life, to enjoy family, and to “smell the roses”…  Now that doesn’t mean this culture does not work hard – they DO! But they know how to relax as well. And Sunday afternoons at Target is the time to relax – it is the time to enjoy life, enjoy family, “smell the roses”……and lets not omit leaving buggies in the middle of the aisles while sniffing. So take yourself a mental picture of that and then imagine me storming in determined to get in and get out and heaven forbid anyone make me and my speeding bullet of a buggy walk slower than 15 mph.

  …..And I tuck my tail in between my legs as God flashes this picture in my heart and asks,

  “Don’t you think you are better than all those people at Target because they are slowing you down?”
  
  “What do you think I think when I look down at Target and see people enjoying life, their families, “smelling the roses” and then I see your bursting down the aisles and remember, Christina…. I know your thoughts…”
  
  “If I was on a side – whose side do you think I would be on?”
  
  “Would I tell them to get their buggies out of the aisles or would I tell you to slow down and get your panties out of a wad.”

  Ok….God didn’t use the word panties…but I got his point. I am guilty.

  So I made a commitment to honor and obey the scriptures about love:
  
  

    “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

  - John 13: 34&35

  Oh and this is a GOOD one!!

  “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”- Romans 12:9-10

  Outdo one another in showing honor. – I LOVE that!

  And another:

  “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8
  

  
  Check my words – Check my opinions – Check my heart when I give voice to my thoughts. What is my motive? Do I want to say this because I LOVE people or because I want to put certain people “in their place”?

  I need to check myself even when I am standing FOR something. I feel like I swing between two extremes when it comes to standing FOR something. I either keep quiet or I get so riled up about something I speak out in anger rather than love. God has put a calling on mine and Blake’s heart to stand against racism…or maybe I should say to stand FOR racial reconciliation. We know it – God has confirmed it. Not that He needed to  – but He graciously has. We have the love for the races down – that is done. We LOVE other cultures, other people groups. (Even in Target now…) We are realizing each day the wrong perceptions we have bought into and are ashamed yet very excited that God is tearing out roots of pride and prejudice (hmm..that should be a book and replacing it with His perspective and truth. I know we have miles and miles to go, but it has been such an exciting journey so far. Aghh! Back to the point – we have the love for other cultures/people groups down – but God is showing us that we must love the other side too – the perpetrator or to a lesser degree the “unenlightened.” We have to desire freedom for them as well. We have to desire good for them too. As someone said to Blake recently after a discussion on racism, “You don’t know what I have gone through, young man!” And that is so true. None of us have walked in anyone else’s shoes. Now that doesn’t give us permission to stay quiet, but it most definitely requires of us a heart of love and affection for ALL people.

  • 5:50 pm
  • 4 Comments