Why are we so prone to follow the latest and greatest trends, instead of following the Greatest One? We are so swayed by the words of others attempting to interpret scripture, that we don't actually delve into scripture to see for ourselves. It's sad really. We are filling the void meant to be filled with Jesus with the words of others, that will never really fill us.
We are so willing to "do" the latest trend - "Let's sell all our stuff and move to Africa!" or "Let's give all we have to the poor and live in the ghetto to do ministry!" or "Let's hold picket signs and scream in protest against "sinners". Some of these things are good, but nothing is good if done for the wrong reasons. What if you sell all your stuff and move to Africa, but Jesus really just wants your heart to love Him? What if He is calling you to move your neighborhood toward Him? What if He is asking you to follow Him in your family? What if all He really wants is for you to love your husband as He loved you?
I haven't read anywhere in the Bible where Jesus held picket signs. In fact, He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34. Holding picket signs and screaming that people will burn in hell for their transgressions is not showing love. Jesus never did that. If you read the accounts of Jesus, He used LOVE to sway people. He LOVED them out of their transgressions. He dined with sinners and the "least of these".
One of my favorite stories about Jesus is found in John 8:3-11.
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Do you get it? Do you see? Jesus WAS without sin! He should have thrown the first stone! He would have been completely justified in throwing stones at her. HE DIDN'T! He LOVED HER! He showed her His love by not condeming her, but telling her to sin no more! Give me a minute to take off my shoes and WORSHIP Him! Seriously!
Jesus never once used His divine authority to condemn "sinners". You know who He did condemn? Pharisees. You know who the "Pharisees" are? You and I are Pharisees. We live as though we are righteous, but we are not. The only righteousness we have is through Christ, and we avoid Him like the plague.
We want to serve Him, but only in the way that feels comfortable for us. Some of us would rather give our "stuff" to Him instead of our hearts. We would gladly sell all our possessions and give to the poor, but we would never really give Him our hearts. He might ask too much. He might require us to let go of grudges, or love people we find unloveable, or **gasp** represent Him to our own families. Some of us would gladly give Him our hearts, but not our beloved "stuff". We would tell the world all about His great love for us. We would tell anyone who would listen all about what He had done for us, as long as we came back to our comfortable home everynight. As long as we have a Starbucks near by. As long as we have air conditioning, clean running water, and cable.
Where do I fall? I'm a lover of myself. I would gladly give Him all my "stuff". He can have my big house, nice car, clothes, electronics, but my heart? No thanks. I'm a very private person Lord! I don't want to put myself out there for just anyone to see. I'm very grateful to You for saving me, and rescuing me, and keeping me through all of life's trials, but I don't want to share my experiences. My experiences are mine. I give you glory for them in private, but not publicly. The public is hard. The public is judgemental. The public is scary, and mean, and PUBLIC! My stuff you can have, my heart, well, not so much.
