Fight for mercy, not blood

One Sunday morning Willow wasn't feeling well and Isaac was working. I'm not one to feel bad for missing church when we need to, so Isaac and I had some text church. This is what flowed from His Holy Spirit within me before I even knew it and Isaac encouraged me to share it. Sounds like a couple of weirdos huh?  Well, we are.

Look at those weirdos

We are raising children, ladies and gentlemen

Pray for them 

Alright, let's get back to the serious blog, right?  Here is what I felt within me: 

Something about being Christians makes us fighters. Which is good, but not when it makes us angry fighters as opposed to defenders. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

But sometimes we fight the wrong things, thinking we're defending a God who doesn't need our valiant defending. When we use DEfense in the wrong way it looks a lot like OFfense. And we're accountable for that. Christians offended at every little thing and then fighting within that offense is wrong. 

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 

Proverbs 19:11 

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 

Proverbs 18:19 

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. 

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

God didn't say "be offended and then fight anyone that comes against you." He is not a God of offense. He wants us to have a reason for what we believe, no matter what anyone else believes.  A reason with gentleness and respect.

Sometimes we take a spiritual battle and try to fight it with earthly weapons (words). 

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18 

We fight for things that don't matter, with skewed intentions. We fight so hard so that the Ten Commandments can hang anywhere we want them to, while never locking eyes with widows and orphans. We use scriptures to fight against people instead of using them to penetrate, even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

We sometimes use the sword of scripture because we're out for blood, but blood has already been spilled. On our behalf, not out of our bodies, but out of HIS body. We shouldn't be out to cut people down with it, but to build people up. 

What should we fight for then?

We should fight for justice and mercy and against oppression and slavery. We should promote freedom, hope and love and share Jesus without arrogance, pride or the need to be right. Because we aren't right. He is. THE word himself, Jesus. 

Sometimes Facebook makes me crazy. Often, I want to maniacally shout:

I disagree with you in a way and I agree with you in a way. But that is based on the fact that I'm just relying on what I've been taught to agree and disagree with. BUT NOW I'm trying to find truth. Real Truth. So keep sharing your passive-aggressively angry memes and articles that make light of someone else's pain, while I stay over here studying and opening up and being confused and loving and willing to be wrong and knowing all of that's ok. 

Because I can be wrong and change but I CANNOT live my whole life being wrong and defending that wrong to my death until I get to Jesus and he says "child...where was the love and the defense? You fought against a lot of people and causes but who were you FOR?"

***

So, those were my thoughts on that Sunday morning.  I was wiping snotty noses and praying and texting my husband about Jesus. Here is what I'll add to that today.  Why does it not feel like Christians are bringing hope and love in the midst of the controversies swirling around? 

The scriptures they post are of love, but often reek of the Christian's pride and attitude instead of smelling like Jesus. The world can sniff that out immediately. And so can I. I'm disappointed but I don't have a solution. I don't know. It's confusing. 

What I wish would come as natural to us as proving our point is to love people by seeing them. Right where they are and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus. We need to be moved by compassion for the multitudes, not get angry at them for behaving in a way that is most likely a cry for help. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Jesus sees them as worried and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Not mean, rude, egotistical and obnoxious just because their view on life is different; because their histories are different. Let's pray for loving eyes, wisdom and the perspective of Jesus. Then, let's pray about the fact that we are ambassadors for Christ, to a lost and dying world.  How will we present ourselves? 

Above all

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11