It would be very understated for me to say that I am frustrated with my Christian brothers and sisters. Lately I have seen so much ugliness within the body and it seems like no matter how much I rant about it, the next day I see something just that much uglier. If you ask almost any Christian why Jesus died on a cross for their sins, they will say something like "Because He loves me" or they will quote John 3:16 -- "For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life." Love is usually the basis of a walk with Christ. He first loved us, therefore we serve and love him...etc..etc...
Why is there NO love left in our community as believers? There seems to be a lack of love in friendships, marriages, the house of God, and more-so the world. It was never our job to come here and be converted to a life with Christ and then walk around spouting hate and judgement wherever we can. I am not condoning any type of sin but the last time I looked, we are not without sin ourselves. We are just forgiven of it and are living a life not separated from God because of our salvation. Need I remind you, you did NOTHING to deserve God's grace or love. That means, you are just as undeserving as the next Joe is to have God's love and forgiveness.
For example, I was recently made aware that a company that I spend a lot of money at and believe in supports Gay marriage and it was made aware to me by another believer because I am guessing he thought it would make a difference to me. Guess what, Mr. X Christian man...McDonald's has the absolute worst nutrition possible in their establishment which is not treating your temple as the Holy Spirit so um, no more Big Macs for you. I have no problem with people having principles and things that they really want to stand by on their own but keep that to yourself and understand not everyone feels the same way you do in "our" faith.
I am gonna be honest with you, I feel sometimes like I am reading a different Bible. I read it everyday in my quiet time and yet I never find a Jesus in there that seems to picket places that do not obey him or that are lost. I seem to find a man who would rather dine with sinners that preach it up with saints. I seem to read about a man who would rather help a prostitute know His love than to stand outside of her house stating the obvious...she is a sinner. I worship a God who mingled with the "undesirable" and did not just sit in his pew and say "I will not be going down there to the shore today because I heard the homosexuals are serving the coffee!" REALLY? Is this the Christ that you know? We are supposed to be longing and yearning to be Christ-like and instead...I feel like I am hearing so much Pharisee language it deafens me to things people say.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with longing and striving to be holy....but make sure you aren't trying to be holier than someone else. Closeness to God should never take you away from the dying, hungry, broken, lost, or downtrodden. Here is an idea...you don't believe that something is right before God...talk to someone doing it and get to know their heart. Get to know their brokenness, their desires, their spirits. That is what God wants to know. He already knows the other stuff.
I know, this rant is passionate...I wish you could really know just how passionate.
