Challenge of the times...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

There is very little more discouraging than seeing someone who should know...should KNOW...the difference between what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy and what is poison choosing to ingest the poison and, after it has festered well, spewing that poison over anyone who hints that it might be poison.

The argument for the poison makes sense...only if one pretends God is not who He claims to be, does not do what He promises to do, and whose character changes with the social norms of the day.  Some have never met God, or have met twisted impersonations, or gave up on a relationship with Him before seeing the fruit of it and honestly do not know.  But others...who have at some point seen God work...well, if it grieves my heart, I can only imagine how it must grieve His.

But, perhaps I am wrong.  Perhaps their vision of what was in front of them was out of focus somehow...so instead of seeing God, they saw something else, and still don't know.

In which case, the poison becomes a cry for compassion and prayer.  How can I better represent God in that situation?  Without throwing more pain on the poison? Because the poison comes from a place of pain and deception; it needs revelation and healing, not judgment and condemnation.

And, while this was not really sparked by a political diatribe but by an ideological one, it still applies to folks whose politics are violently opposed to mine.  Once again, how do I represent God in the situation?  When I am quite sure the labels hurled in my direction do not apply to either my convictions or my opinions? It is offensive to be the target of such labels...but the least productive thing would be to be offended.

So I must look in myself for a shred of truth to the labels...what do I need to repent of?  What do I need to change?  Not in my convictions, but in how I hold and present them; so that I am free of the  inclination to justify my self or concern for how I am perceived and can simply give a creditable account of what I believe and why, without breaking the bruised reed or extinguishing the smoldering wick that may still be in a position to respond to God.

 All the while being mindful of the difference between someone who's actually willing to consider looking for truth...and someone who's merely looking for a fight. 

By way of disclaimer, I am not a 'facebook friend' of the sometime acquaintance whose accusatory rant aimed at someone who voiced convictions similar to mine surprised me and prompted this post....