The chaos of 2020 has led us all to forget some of the most basic teachings of scripture. We've allowed the social distractions of the day to get us off track. It's no wonder we've lost our voice in society; we seem to have lost all concern for the lost.
I want to offer 8 reminders, or challenges, for believers to consider as we enter the new year. I'm one of those optimists who actually believes 2021 could be the best year of our lives. Christians have lost so much ground over the past 20 years, but I believe we can regain our voice moving forward. Our testimony can be restored in this culture, but it won't be easy. Let's give it our all in 2021, and leave the rest up to God.
Consider these 8 reminders:
1. Open your eyes to your own faults.
Civil discussions have been replaced by heated debates where the primary motivation is to convince the other side to agree with us. This has led to a culture of conflict and division. While you can’t force change in other people, you can start with the one person we can control, YOU. It’s so easy to see shortcomings in other people, but we must open our eyes to our own faults. As we follow the example of Jesus, we must be the change we hope to find in others (Matthew 7).
2. Remember who you are in Christ.
Your identity in Christ should be the one thing that defines you above all else. There is no other group or affinity that comes close to your position in the body of Christ. This position in Christ leads us to favor our brothers and sisters. We have a family of faith that marks us as heirs united for eternity (2 Corinthians 5). It’s very difficult to hate people God has called you to love. You have been called to represent Jesus as a minister of reconciliation. Read it!
3. Embrace the paradox of following Jesus.
I’m afraid Christians have not only forgotten some of the most basic characteristics of their faith, we seem to live contrary to them. I’m not referring to obeying the Ten Commandments. I’m talking about some of the most simple teachings of Jesus. He taught us that the first will be last, and the last will be first (Matthew 19:30). This is not natural in our flesh, but neither is loving our enemies (Luke 6:27). Remember that little command from Jesus? No one is doing that these days.
4. Identify the real enemy.
It’s easy to find an enemy. In fact, you really don’t have to search for one; they will find you soon enough. Scripture, however, reminds us that we often get confused when attempting to identify who our enemies really are (Ephesians 6:12). Christians have become distracted by racial tensions, political debates, and many other social conflicts. This cultural context has led us to make enemies of those we disagree with. This is why no one wants to talk about anything anymore. When someone has the courage to speak his mind, he is labelled this or that and is shamed into a corner. Next thing he knows, he has to fight his way out of that corner, and in the process, he makes enemies out of everyone.
5. Choose convictions over conformity.
Part of the struggle with communication is that we want everyone to fit into our little box, a predetermined self-constructed standard. We all have one, but ironically our standards are often a combination of convictions and conformity. People, from every imaginable background, are pressured to agree with their tribe on all positions. Rather than researching a matter to form our own opinion, we are expected to step into the cookie cutter. This ultimately leads to a form of hypocrisy. Christians must stop selectively following their convictions if we hope to regain our spiritual influence (Romans 12:1-2).
6. Don’t be so sensitive.
To say Americans have become sensitive would be an understatement. The average person is offended by anyone who dares hold a different opinion on any number of issues. It can be overwhelming to say the least. What are we going to do? While we’ve learned some proactive ways to neutralize a hostile environment, our kindness will not always deter confrontation from coming our way. We must, therefore, prepare to be the recipients of aggression, frustration, and potentially persecution. We must grow thick skin and learn to walk in the Spirit, resisting the demands of our flesh (Galatians 5:16).
7. Listen more than you speak.
This contentious culture has led us to become far more aggressive in our approach to communicating with one another. The loudest group often gets the most attention, and the result is chaos and confusion. Very few people are actually listening to the opinions of anyone these days. We’re too busy talking to hear the ideas and concerns of other people. Our volume gets louder and louder the more frustrated we become. We must learn to listen if we have any hope of being heard (James 1:19).
8. Build bridges. Don’t burn them.
This world is filled with prejudice, anger, and hostility on every side of every issue. People have become conditioned to a form of tribalism, which helps them feel better about their isolation and produces an uncommon belonging. Building meaningful relationships outside our tribes, however, has become a rare accomplishment at best. Everyone is too busy defending his/her own ground to reach out in hopes of connecting with others. In the absence of trust and respect – we’ve all become bridges-burners, declaring an end to negotiations or even conversations related to our differences. So, each man defends his island from the shadows of an invisible enemy, yet Christians have the tools no man seeks. We are born to build bridges in a land of great divide (2 Corinthians 5).
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