What Are You Known For?
I see it all of the time on Facebook and Twitter. Someone posts statuses that quickly let me know what or who they are against. It may be a cause or political figure, family member or acquaintance. I’ve seen it. I’ve done it.
What about those of us who follow Christ? Do we do the same thing?
I have noticed that we who claim to follow Christ don’t act a lot different than the world. We take up causes that we seem to become known for more than the One who we say drives those causes.
We stand for the life of the unborn and, eventually, became known for being pro-life or, worse, anti-abortion.
We stand for traditional marriage and become known for being against homosexual marriage.
(For the record, I am pro-life and pro traditional marriage.)
We say that we hate the sin and love the sinner.
We become known for hating the sin, but are we really known for loving the sinner?
While declaring our hate for this sin, do we really love those we declare to be sinners?
I believe this has become such a cliche’ that we just blow through saying it as though that’s all we have to do.
Do we really love those who are pro-choice? I know some do, but how about US?
Do we really love the homosexual who wants to marry their significant other? I know some do, but how about US?
What are we known for?
You hit on something really important Larry. Too often we are known for what we are against than what we are for.
I know I am, Bill.
Hey Larry, spot on. I’m guilty of following the Facebook crowd in rants and objections. Too seldom do I make a stand for Christ.
Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks Stephen
Great post! I recently read a similar post in the wake of the Chic-fil-a Appreciation Day. Both posts really have me thinking. How do I love the sinner more than hating the sin. I am afraid that we, as the American Christian church, have blurred that line between not hating the sinner and only hating the sin. What we do looks a whole lot more like hate than love. You are so right. Are we known for loving the person more than hating the sin? Are we more pro-person-that-sins-and-needs-to-really-meet-Jesus or anti-sin? I know the answer for me. The next question is, how do we fix this?
Thanks Joe! I think if we spent out time really being for people and loving them, in their eyes we could tell them about sin. Unfortunately, I think we get it backwards.
Good stuff, Larry. I have been listening to an audio book called “The Gospel of Yes.” It is talking about how we, as Christians, have become a movement based on what we are against. We can clearly articulate what we are against but no so much what we are for. We live a life in opposition to stuff. I gotta fix that about me.
I love the sound of that book, Ken
Ditto- I’ll be checking into this one, Barba.
Good stuff, Larry! You echo so many of my own thoughts here. I’m so tired of being known by what I’m against, rather than Who I’m for.
Love the post, Larry. Someone brought up the point recently that if we were serious about being pro-life, we’d go beyond picketing clinics and start adopting unwanted babies, start volunteering at pregnancy crisis centers, and taking in single mothers. I like this idea of being FOR things.
Stephen, if we spent time being for things and doing these things, maybe people would pay attention when we needed to say what we are against.
Hopefully people know what I am all about by my actions instead of me always having to say it. That’s my goal anyways. Great reminder Larry.