I listened to some convicting preaching tonight. The speaker was a younger fellow, full of the Holy Ghost and compassion. Definitely something the world needs more of. He spoke of missed opportunities to witness to those in need around us. One of the scriptures he used as a reference was powerful to me and I want to share it.
They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Proverbs 28:4
Am I praising the wicked when I allow others to spew out profanities in front of me and my children? Or when they take my precious Lord's name in vain? How about when someone tells me how they "lied" to get what they wanted?(i.e. discounts, promotions, sympathy.) And then there is the occasional conversation with someone concerning immoral behavior. What is my reaction to these scenarios? Do I gently, but firmly ask the profanity to cease? And when another "sister" or "brother" in the Lord share their indiscretions without shame, do I soothe them (by not saying anything) and allow them to stay in their sin, or do I point them to the word and remind them what God says about liars and immorality? (all in love, of course) We have an awesome responsibility as Christians. I'm not advocating standing on a corner and screaming the wrath of God here. I am speaking of people we have daily contact with on our jobs, in our church. And I am not judging. We are to contend for our faith. I don't want to disappoint my saviour.
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9 years ago
3 comments:
Amen my friend, we do have an awesome responsibility as christians, and we need to take that responsibility much more seriously than we often do.
I agree with you and Denise. We all need to take God's commandments more seriously.
This is interesting, because I was at a birthday party this weekend for a co-worker of my husband. I don't want to give the impression that it was the den of iniquity - it was pretty tame I think for a "worldly" gathering, but there was some profanity and some drinking and some dirty jokes etc. Nothing really disgusting, but I just felt like I didn't fit in. My husband is more used to it because he is around it more than I am, at work etc. Anyway, on the way home I expressed my discomfort over the situation to my hubby and the comment he made was, "I know. I feel like if I am not condemning it, I am condoning it", which was exactly how I felt.
I remember a mature Christian telling me one time that we (Christians) are called to a different standard than the world. I'm not sure what Scripture backs that up, but I understand that sometimes speaking the law to non-Christians can be practically futile. They don't have the Spirit so they don't get what the big deal is. I don't think that means we should stay silent, but as you pointed out we can speak the truth in gentleness and love.
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