What Kind of Vibe Are You Putting Out?

 

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God  is love. This is how God showed his love: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us,  we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if  we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." " I John  4:1-12

 

Have you ever had a huge load of responsibility dumped on you when you were unprepared?  I remember being 18 years old and being left in charge of a law office for the first time.  I remember right out of college being told, "This is your 110 clients, transfer them to yourself!"  My knees buckled, my palms sweated, but somehow I got through it!

 

The thought of being the visible representative of the love of an invisible God is very daunting!  This is a huge load of  responsibility, and yet, it is a challenge that we must rise to meet.  How many people in this world are turned off from God because of the way Christians love- or fail to love?

 

I know that I have been guilty before of seeing people come into our church and feeling like they were not "our kind of people".  Perhaps they dressed in a way that I did not care for; maybe they were tattooed or pierced in a way that I dislike. I wonder, did I make them feel  rejected and therefore cause them to doubt God's love for them?  How about you- have you ever sent out a disapproving vibe?  I have often heard non-Christians jokingly say that they do not come to church because the roof would fall in if they did.  We laugh, we joke, but what is at the root of it?  Have we made them feel they have to meet a certain standard to be welcomed or accepted?  If so, we need an attitude check!

 

I grew up singing  the "Doxology" every Sunday at church:  "Just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me.."  Isn't that true of us all?  We have to come to Jesus just like we are!  We are fixer-up projects, and he is the master re-designer.  He takes messes and turns them into masterpieces.  God forbid we make people think they have to clean up to be good enough to suit us or God!  Our job is to love and to welcome, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin. 

 

I have known of Christians with things in their lives that were not just so.  (I have often been that person!)  At times I have felt compelled to encourage someone in their walk.  But at other times, I feel the Lord saying, "Leave them to me."  It is easy for us to establish rules and regulations  about what we find acceptable in the Christian world.  But it is really up to Jesus.  He knows what issues need to be addressed and in what order.  Perhaps a person needs to come off of crystal meth before we worry about their micro miniskirts!  Let's love and let God deal with demolition.

 

I know that God is a righteous and holy judge.  I know that he requires his children to walk in holiness.  But how many of us as children run gladly into the arms of a parent standing there with a peach tree switch in their hand?! We need to present God as loving.  Let's leave the discipline up to our Father.*

 

Dear Lord, help me see the world through your eyes.  Help me look with eyes of love and mercy.  Anoint me to be your hand extended to all you bring in my path.    In Jesus'

Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri

*A note of balance, it is our duty to disciple, teach and minister to people.  If we feel led to point out something, then we trust God's timing and method.  Also, there are instructions for church discipline, but what I am addressing here is welcoming  the unsaved into our churches.