Category: Love Your neighbor

  • Grace and Space

    We need to give and receive both

    Frace and Space – aggressive driver, road rage

    The drivers in Abbotsford are often incredibly  aggressive. They tend to drive too fast, follow too closely, and not use their signals. If you happen to drive the speed limit, you will annoy plenty of people. Often, a lot of horn honking, yelling, and hand gestures are involved.

    I know there are plenty of exceptions, but when you drive, you are almost taking your life into your own hands. I’m sure our community is not alone in this phenomenon, which seems to be getting worse all the time.

    I frequently have to remember a mantra a friend in our community group uses when driving, “Grace and Space.” It would help if you gave other drivers both. When I am driving, I often repeat that mantra to myself.

    We need it in the church as well. You likely know the well-meaning people in your local assembly who walk up to people they barely know and attempt to correct their appearance or lifestyle loudly. It makes me cringe when I see it.

    It is even worse when they do it in the community to random strangers.

    I will confess that they are sometimes bang on the money with their criticism. Yet, I can almost guarantee that the “advice” will likely be ignored or worse.

    We are not called to be the Holy Spirit for others. Yes, there is a time and place for correction or church discipline, but this behavior typically is neither. 

    We need the grace to forgive, the wisdom to know when to speak, and the space to build relationships.

    We cannot expect non-believers to live like Christians. Even Christians need help living as they should. Without the grace of Jesus, we’d be sunk.

    I know I’m a work in progress, and much needs repair. You wouldn’t have to look hard to find something to criticize. I also know that God will finish what He starts, so I’ll get there according to His timing—which may not be according to my or your timing.

    Please give other people the grace and space you would like to receive.

    Let’s be sure the Spirit is prompting us before we begin to critique others. 

    Grace and space, my friends. Grace and space.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Some posts you might enjoy

    Lost and found

    Right belief or right living?

    Bridge builders

    Clash of Values

  • Clash of Values

    Jesus didn’t come to change our value system.

    Can we talk?  

    There is plenty of hot and heavy debate and venting going on concerning issues such as gender identity and its many related issues, prayer in school, abortion, etc.  That’s not even considering the political falderal that seems to have been going on forever.

    There’s a wide diversity of opinion on these and many other issues. Public policy in these areas in North America often opposes what orthodox, historical, evangelical Christianity holds as truth.

    It shouldn’t surprise us when our beliefs clash with the world’s. When that happens, we need to remember that the world isn’t Christian, so we shouldn’t expect them to act as if they were. That doesn’t mean it won’t break our hearts, but it shouldn’t be a big surprise. Even as believers, we often behave in ways that contradict our beliefs.

    The whole concept of “Judeo-Christian values,” which seems to be increasingly slipping from the system, was based on a misunderstanding.

    Jesus didn’t come to change our value system. That truth is so important and overlooked it is worth repeating. “Jesus didn’t come to change our value system.” He came to change our hearts and make us pure and holy. The result of that heart change is the change in our value systems. It’s a consequence, not the goal.

    It’s a mistake to expect those with unredeemed hearts to hold the same values as a believer.

    The time for us to worry is not when we’re at odds with the culture around us. The time for us to worry is when we’re in sync with the culture. Sometimes, that happens because there are some universal truths that even the world gets right now and then. More often, it’s because somewhere along the line, we’ve compromised our own beliefs.

    If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  John 15:18-19 

    We belong to the kingdom of Light. The world is under the authority of the Prince of Darkness. The two are seldom going to agree. That should neither surprise nor discourage us. The victory is ours, even when we feel like we’re losing a battle.

    Knowing the truth doesn’t give us the right to be unloving or bigoted. We hold fast to that truth, but we speak the truth in love.

    Part of having a transformed heart is learning to love others. We need to practice grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We set aside our judgmental natures. We share the love of Jesus and let the Spirit transform the hearts and values of others. Only God can do that.

    Until next time, take heart … I’ve read the book.  We win.

    Kevin

    Some posts to consider

    Called to be bridge builders

    The gospel – the best news ever

    Tribulation produces perseverance

    Herded – an old border collie reminds me of the truth