I already know that some of you are reading this just because of the title of this post. Maybe it struck your curiosity because you wouldn't call yourself a Christian or just plain don't believe. Maybe you were wondering why a Pastor's wife would say such a thing, so you clicked on the link to see what I had to say or maybe you actually like reading my blog (I hope the latter). I don't really know why you are reading this, but I just hope it makes you think.
Let's get this straight, I am head over heels in love with my Savior. He died a brutal death for me and the more I learn about Him and His life on this Earth the more blown away with Him I become. He, like any of us, was human, but He was also God at the same time. Confusing, yes, but when you consider His human side and what He faced for anyone who believes in Him I am totally awestruck by His Love and sacrifice. I could go on and on about Him, and just how AMAZING He is, but there is no need for me to do so when you can read all about it in a book which says it all already. Who is this man I am talking about? It's Jesus Christ.
When you hear that name, I'm not sure what exactly comes to your mind. When asked, people around the world say things like, "good man," and/or "humanitarian." Most people don't have too many negative things to say about Jesus (it's the Christians they don't have nice things to say about), but for some reason for the longest time I would cringe when I heard His name, mostly because of the ways I've heard it used... ways that change Him into something He was/is not... ways that use it to advance or elevate someone's status or to make themselves look good... and even in ways that truly make me want to throw up in my mouth! I'm not sitting here saying that I judge anyone who is talking about Jesus, but I am saying that when I hear people talk about Him in such a way that changes who I know He is, I see red.
Too many "Christians" today take His name and/or the religion of Christianity and make it into something it is not and something it was never meant to be. When people make Jesus out to be someone who is judgmental, condemning and legalistic, I feel it is misrepresenting who He was on this Earth, who He is today, and what His message still is and frankly, it's more then just offensive to me. People are dying and going to hell because of it.
If people knew anything about who Jesus really was they would run to Him with open arms and never let go. They would fall down in humility at His feet and do anything they could do to show others who He really is, and I'm pretty sure they would do it in the same LOVING way that He did and does for us. His very own Disciples, some of the people He was closest to during His time on this Earth, were just as faithless and disobedient as those who were not His followers, yet Jesus gave them chance after chance, loved them more than himself and displayed to them time after time how to serve/save this world in LOVE!!! Now, I know that there are some of you who are thinking to yourselves, "hey lady, don't you remember when He called the woman at the well out about having 5 husbands and don't you remember when he called Peter, Satan and told him to get behind him." Well, yes. I do remember that, but I also remember Him doing all of those things in Love. He had no impure motive. He did not think of Himself as higher than anyone He ever called out (even though He CERTAINLY was/is) and He actually cared about the souls that He touched...every single one of them.
I'm not a pastor, so I'm going to stop my ranting, but my husband is and I think he did a pretty amazing job communicating some of this message a couple Sundays ago at our Church. You can check out that message here.
One Passionate Life “A Passionate Presence” from Journey Christian on Vimeo.
All I'm really saying here is that we are not called to be judges on this Earth. We are called to be lovers of the Lord and lovers of our neighbors (every single one of them). When it is all said and done and you have done all you can to try and relay the TRUE message of Jesus to someone who still seems to not care and makes the decision to continue living in sin, then by all means just freaking pray for that person and pray for yourself that you may have a heart that is able to love the sinner and not the sin. After all, it is what Jesus did and does for us and it is what He has called you to do if you have taken His name as your own and call yourself a Christian.
*Disclaimer* I believe God knew what He was doing when He married me to a pastor! It was part of His plan to teach me how to be wise with my words and to keep my mouth shut when it is so VERY hard for me to do so. In times when I so badly want to gossip about another Christian or want to really go off on someone for misrepresenting Christ I am usually reminded first, that I am representing my husband and our church, and then I am usually reminded that I am ultimately representing Jesus (the very One that I want to stand up for in a not so Jesus-like way). He also so quickly reminds me that acting in such a manner is pointless and is no better than acting like those who are misrepresenting Him in the first place. Essentially, if I acted out the way I sometimes want to, I become a misrepresenter too. I wrote this post because I feel like there has been a lot of this going on around me lately and it's been driving me crazy. Have I handled every situation as He may have wanted me to? No, but He is working on me and softening my heart everyday to Him, even when people surrounding me (who claim to be representing Him) push me toward a hard, tainted, heart. I am honored that my King chose my husband and our family to serve in vocational ministry and wouldn't change where He has us today or His plan thus far, but I also pray daily for protection over our hearts in a day in age where so many claim to be His followers yet produce no fruit and show no love. It can be an exhausting, disappointing, frustrating, and angering position if we don't keep Jesus forefront what we do. For too long my heart has been so hard toward Christianity or the church in general and I believe that is exactly what Satan wanted. I no longer cringe when I hear the name Jesus. Instead, I want to praise His name for all eternity. He is the Savior of the world and I will no longer miss out on all He has for me and the plan for my life because of those around me who just plain don't get Him at all.
