Tuesday; March 12

          We live in a caustic, confrontive world – and honestly I think it is getting louder.  Today’s personalities coupled with the expansion of media outlets and the removal of social and emotional limiters have paved the way for an argumentative culture.  We are becoming more apt to ruffle people’s feathers than we are to smooth things over.  Even religion has the tendency to fall in this trap – and unfortunately Christians tend to be louder and more boisterous.  On one hand, we might be able to justify our argumentative style by saying we are “fighting fire with fire”, but is that what we are called to do?  The other day I came across a passage that instructed early Christians, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” (I Peter 3:8-9).  It might be easy to justify the confrontive style as being the “new Christianity for a new world”, but I am not sure that’s what God had in mind.  Yes, we must stand up for the truth, but we’d better do it in the way the Lord wants it done.
          Are we hoping to make a difference in the world?  Maybe the best way to do it is be convicted in our beliefs but gentle in spirit.
          Think About It! 

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