Before I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I can remember witnessing the actions of particular people and then finding out that they went to church. There were things about their day-to-day behavior that just made me ask, “They go to church?!”
Jesus said, “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. When we cause people to ask “they go to church?!, we are not loving the way Jesus commanded.
At my previous place of employment, I had dealings with a woman who I happened to go to church with. She had such a terrible reputation for being angry and abrasive. When my new secretary started, I remember having to say to her, “This woman can be a little abrasive so let me deal with her when she calls.” Well, during one of our phone conversations when she did call, we happened to discussed church business. When I hung up, my new secretary said, “She goes to church?!” She was in complete disbelief that this angry woman on the other end of the phone attended church at all.
My husband had a similar experience when he arrived at work the other day. His secretary said that a gentleman would be in to see him. Clearly uneasy, she said that the gentleman seemed agitated. My husband then called me and asked me to pray about the situation.
A short time later, I received a message from my husband. To our astonishment, the agitated, intimidating gentleman was not only someone we knew, he was also in leadership at a church that we had previously attended. After he left, my husband’s secretary exclaimed, “He goes to church?!”
Both of these self-professed children of God were making people ask, “They go to church?!” Their behavior resulted in others questioning their faith.
God created us to bring Him glory and to magnify Him on this earth. It is our sole/soul purpose. And we do that by the love that we show to those around us. How is it that people who claim to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior can be so abrasive?
People who claim to have experienced the unequaled love and mercy of Jesus Christ can push others away from Him. They can be so abrasive and so difficult that people who might want a relationship with God are repelled. They can be repelled in such a powerful way that they not only question this person’s relationship with God, but they question whether they even want a relationship with the God that these people serve. This is not God’s desire or plan. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19 & 20
Scripture reminds us that we should be more patient, more loving, and more gentle… not less. “Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
When we repent of our sins and ask God to forgive us for our rebellion and rejection of him, the forgiveness that he pours out on us — the mercy, grace, and love that we experience — is so overwhelming that we want to tell the entire world. “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.” Psalm 9:1.
What happens?! How do we then come to a place where we are unkind, unloving, abrasive, accusatory, overbearing, and any other abusive descriptive word you can think of to those around us who have never experienced His love?
We get angry and have pity parties and abuse the people around us verbally, mentally, and emotionally. And sometimes they’re not even people we know. They are complete strangers. When we do these things, we not only rob God of glory, but we affect the testimony of other believers. Other brothers and sisters that God has put in the lives of those people no longer have the powerful testimony they once did.
There are people who desire a relationship with God. But our behavior can undo any work that God has begun. And we can potentially push these people further away from God instead of drawing them closer (the way we have been commanded to). We should be concerned with their testimony and ours… “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
I pray that today we would recognize that the love that Christ asks us to show people might be all the love that someone will get that day. I pray that we will be mindful of the hurting world around us. That we would be mindful of the suffering around us and of the fact that our Heavenly Father pours out His love on us every day. The least we can do is love on those around us and glorify Him. Let’s not have attitudes that cause people to say, “They go to church?!” Instead, let’s love like Jesus.
Father, we praise you that we are able to love because you loved us better and first. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. Forgive us when we don’t share your love with those around us. Break our hearts for those who are hurting and lost, Father. Lead us to them and give us a boldness to share. And a heart that longs for them to be reconciled to you. We pray this in your precious and holy name, Jesus.
If you don’t know the incomparable love that we have spoken of and if you have taken the brunt of the anger from the kind of people we have been talking about, I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/). Please pray the prayer that is outlined there. Because our precious Savior wants to show you the immeasurable love that He has for you.
Once you’ve prayed that prayer, please reach out to me at admin@forgiven-n-loved.com and let me know, so that I can be in prayer for you. Hopefully, I can help you grow in your, knowledge of, and love for Jesus Christ.
Luv Ya
