There’s a great power that lies at the fingertips of the vast majority of the American population. It often comes from small, electronic devices found within our pants pockets or down inside of purses. Social media. It can be a platform for everything from opinions and ideas to baby pictures or group chats. It can be used as an incredible way to connect with others, but can also be used for evil through means of criticism amongst each other and even hatred toward one another.
2020 has come with it’s fair share of trials which has kept the mainstream media on its toes. It seems now more than ever that social media is filled with opinions/debates of who/what is right or wrong. I see statements where respect for others is tossed to the wayside to prove a point. Those situations weigh heavy on my heart because I know that it’s not the way God has intended for us to treat one another. So what has God spoken to us in His word about all this controversy and opposition taking place in our country? I hope you read along and dig into it with me!
Let’s first travel back to August of 2019 in Gainesville Georgia, the week of my World Race training camp. I think back to a couple of sessions led by two speakers, Danny and Patrick, talking about the good news of the gospel applied to different cultures. We looked at the gospel through different cultural lenses. Some cultures hold themselves within a shame/honor system, others rule through fear/power, while our westernized American culture is based upon a guilt/innocent system. We utilize laws to govern here in the states and have a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. We like things to be black and white and expect justice to be served when guilt is found.
While a sense of right and wrong and knowing our stance on subject matters is very important, it’s even more important to maintain sight of a bigger picture that God has laid out before us in the Bible. While we might look at the world through an American guilt/innocence cultural lens, we need to first and foremost make sure that we’re aligned with the Lord’s commands for us and His will for our lives! Christians are quite literally to be followers of Christ after all, right?
These days, it doesn’t take long to find an opinion about some matter while scrolling through social media. Sometimes, people can also seem very quick to cast judgement on others for certain actions or opposing ideas others may have. “This person deserves this because they did this.” Even the presidential election campaigns seem to focus more towards degrading the opponent rather than sharing about their own good intentions for the country.
It’s perfectly good to have opinions of our own, know where we stand, and even voice our opinions, but what can we say about ourselves when we ask where our hearts are toward the people who oppose us? How do we see them? Do we cast them away from us if they stand somewhere other than where we do? Do we wish the worst upon them or think less of them as people if we think they’re wrong? If we look at the bigger picture that God has laid before us all, we’re still called to love those who oppose us, even if we don’t see eye to eye.
Each and every person in this world has been MADE IN HIS IMAGE. Woah. When we kiss respect goodbye to those whom we disagree with, we disrespect their Maker.. This whole worlds Maker! In Matthew 22, under that little heading “THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT”, Jesus replies to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” There are no if’s and’s or but’s about those verses and Jesus even weights them with the entirety of His law hanging upon them. This is one serious statement. So, who are we to decide who deserves to be shown our love!?
While there will be differences in opinions, and opinions that are more right or wrong than others, we ourselves will never be the judge of humanity. It’s not our duty and was never intended to be. The weight of that responsibility is left to none other than God Himself. The act of releasing our cares, frustrations or worries about others to God is an act of putting our trust in Him. Who could we possibly trust more than Him!? He will handle it. He is the judge and He is in control.
The story of the adulterous woman in John 8 comes to my mind whenever I find myself falling into that judgement seat where I have no place in being. We find the Pharisees bringing a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, asking if she should be stoned in accordance to the law of Moses. In verse 7, Jesus says to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” What a humbling statement to be reminded of. I know that I’m surely in no place to be casting stones at others! Romans 3:23 remarks that, “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Not one of us is more deserving of His great grace than another! We are all equally dead in our sin without Him.
James 4:11-12 reads, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” Again, our call is not to judge others amongst us in this world, but to love them.
Matthew 5:44-45 commands, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This reaction to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors is one that bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The world seeks revenge, but we as Christians are set apart as God’s people, made new in Him. Hallelujah.
Amidst everything going on in this world right now, we are all part of a bigger picture whether we want to be a part of it or not. We are not called to be judges of each other, we are not called to shove our point of view in each other’s faces until they see it our way, we are called to Simply. Love. I know how hard it can be at times, but when we remain faithful to the Lord’s command, we can always count on Him to remain faithful to us. Zoom out and view His grander plan. Pray for those who oppose you, because this world needs a whole lot more prayer than it needs more criticism.
As always, thanks for reading. I hope this blog encourages you to show love to a neighbor in a new way this week!
