They Nothing Us
I spoke with a friend the other day who is constantly on his guard against what he perceives as a secular aggression against him as a Christian. In other words, he's concerned that adulturers, homosexuals, drug users, and democrats all hate him and are out to take away his freedom. According to him, they all have an anti-Christian agenda and want to actively recruit our children, impede our ministries, and make us look bad.
I am aware that we as believers have serious opposition. I know that we face an enemy that doesn't rest in his campaign against us. However, I know many non-Christians. I even know some anti-Christians, and a couple of gays. I've had long conversations with them about my faith. Guess what? The vast majority don't hate us.
They nothing us.
See, for a person to hate another person requires something. You've got to put some energy into hating somebody. It costs you something. Hate means you care, just not in a good way. All of the nonbelievers I know do not even think about Christians, much less care enough to really hate us.
Most of the lost people I come across expect to be judged and persecuted by the people who do call themselves Christians. Some don't even know that serious followers of Jesus even exist.
I'm not saying we shouldn't be on our guard. I'm just not sure we really understand who our enemy is.
4 comments:
So true, but we should know who are enemy is. Ephesians 6 and 1 Peter 5 make it clear. We are often guilty of attacking ourselves and others when we should be loving them.
Bryan Riley (I couldn't comment with my blogger name for some reason)
Sorry, Bryan, I'm not sure what the problem was...
Good point about our tendency to attack. No wonder we as Christians have either a bad reputation or no reputation at all in many of our communities.
Sometimes, I think we're so much on the defensive, with our guard up, that we never see the people around us for the perceived threat of their sinfulness.
Just before he resigned, Nixon was asked if he hated the press for what they were reporting. No, he didn't hate the press (if this isn't the quote, it's close) "you have to respect someone before you can hate them".
I wonder if that's not part of our problem as Christians.
Stepchild, it is the beta thing... I'm not sure if it will prevent me from commenting until i join beta or not...
Being nothing is the worst. Is that the same as Laodicea?? Where you just exist as a lukewarm nastiness that is only good for spewing?
Bryan Riley
http://charisshalom.blogspot.com
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