Are You Sure That’s God?
There have been times in my life when I’ve wanted to ask: “Do you really think acting like a jerk will draw people closer to Christ?” Sometimes this is directed at myself, sometimes at others. With all the controversy swirling around things Muslim, I think we as a Christian body need to be asking this of ourselves right now.
There have been times in my life when I’ve wanted to ask: “Do you really think acting like a jerk will draw people closer to Christ?” Sometimes this is directed at myself, sometimes at others. With all the controversy swirling around things Muslim, I think we as a Christian body need to be asking this of ourselves right now.
Jesus was most often questioning and angry with those who “knew” God and were religious, and he was loving towards the lost. At times, we’ve got that reversed. Sometimes, we're not even able to love even each other.
Our actions, our words, our very lives speak loudly towards the God we worship. As a Christian, I can sometimes discern that the God other Christians worship is not the one I know to be in the Bible. I can even discern sometimes when the God I worship does not match up.
But, can the unbelieving world? It’s a pretty doubtful they would even be aware of the difference between the true God and what we represent Him as. We can barely tell the difference. So then, what we do and say becomes what others believe about our God. Sobering, isn’t it?
So, we must reach out in love—beyond the big picture, the politics, the burnings, and all the rest. Invite someone to lunch. Ask questions about the person, not the labels. Help the oppressed, the hurting, the widow, and the orphan. In general, just serve. And, in all things, pray. If we were about all that, it would keep us too busy to be walking around acting like jerks.
As Mother Teresa said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Since people are reading us these days, instead of the Bible, then we better start looking a little closer at how we're acting. What kind of letter do you plan on leaving behind?
Jamie Lath
Jamie Lath is a middle child that has no baby picture without her older sister in it. Even with only two siblings, she grew up with family everywhere because all her aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and even second-cousins lived in her hometown. With forty people at her birthday parties (all relatives) and her sister in every picture, she knows a little about community, and it's everlastingness. This has brought most of her ministry focus into meeting people where they're at, listening closely (especially to those who feel voiceless and like no one is listening), and helping them find God's voice in the mix. Jamie graduated with a BA in Communication Studies from the University of North Texas. Following a year of teaching English in China, she returned to the states to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. She received a Th.M. with a focus on Media Arts. Her background in the arts (ballet, writing, and acting) has given her an understanding of how creative expressions can give people a safe place to begin exploring how to use their voice and how it can touch hearts to hear God’s voice. She also blogs at I just called to say "Olive Juice."
