I do not believe it is right to go at a persons beliefs with the soul purpose of proving them wrong. Or of proving yourself smarter, better, or even right. I don't care what the belief is... if it's what they are standing on if it is all that is holding them up...why do people feel the need to destroy it? Why not help improve it change it, why not show love....
This I think is one of the major differences between a true follower of Christ and an unbeliever sharing their beliefs and opinions.
1. Someone with true faith and respect for fellow men will share what they believe and why without telling a person all they believe in is wrong, or a lie, or whatever to an extent. We can only share Christ word and love, then wait for the holy spirit to do it's work. We can not take credit for a changed heart or a saved soul...It's like the child asking for a reward for following directions. It's expected of us to spread the word.
2 Someone with true faith will in essence give a person something else to stand on, another hope then step back to let God strip away the rest...
3. There is no pride in showing and sharing your faith, it's not about you. At the end you should have NOTHING to brag about... It's about God's love it's about the grace, it's about how you are no better then any other person on the face of this earth. It's about the cross, it's about forgiveness, and if you share your opinions and beliefs with someone who believes differently...it's about respect NOT tolerance. It's about telling not judging even if what you have to say is hard for them to hear.
Maybe it's a difference in confidence. In another blog I read by Kevin A. Thompson he wrote about why that jerk at your office, that arrogant and rude status poster on facebook might really be lacking true confidence. They might doubt themselves and not even know it, they might be trying to convince themselves...They maybe be hurting. Kinda helps you get a new perspective.
It takes a lot more confidence to NOT believe in the grace of God then it does to actually except God's grace.
To not believe, you have to have confidence that you are right , you afterlife will be fine. You can earn heaven or paradise or a good second life. Or you have to be confidant that there is not heaven hell or even any God at all YOU have to do it all.
All while being so very broken....so very human. No pressure.
Ah, but to be on the other side, to believe in God and his promises to receive his grace and forgiveness. It's a confidence with contentment..confidence with peace. When your content AND confident you don't have to destroy others systems and beliefs because they don't line up with yours...you just want to share your contentment your hope your story...you are no better in anyway then any other...
It's this confidence with peace that builds up... it's why a Christian can walk away from a fight, Why we don't have to get angry when someone tries to destroy our faith. IT's why at the end of it all we can be told we are wrong and they can fight us with perfectly good reason and logic and we can say okay...and walk away still confident and peaceful. Not because we are blind, or stupid, or weak minded...but because we have peace with who we are and what we believe... Faith goes beyond reason...
So the next time you face that obnoxious person in our office, the next time you read that status that just makes you go really? before you respond to the person think about why you are responding. Speak kindly, instruct, build up but don't be scared to share the truth even if it's not what they want to hear, even if it goes against all that society says is acceptable ...with your words hope can live or die. And be prepared for them to walk away thinking no different then they did before.
Speak Life.
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