2 John 7-11
Many liars have gone out into the world. These deceitful liars are saying that Jesus Christ did not have a truly human body. But they are liars and the enemies of Christ. So be sure not to lose what we have worked for. If you do, you won’t be given your full reward. Don’t keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you. If people won’t agree to this teaching, don’t welcome them into your home or even greet them. Greeting them is the same as taking part in their evil deeds.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Social media is wonderful for certain purposes…sharing photos of family members, keeping people updated when someone is sick and needs prayer, reveling in victories over decades-old football foes…and much more. But this venue is also a hotbed of venomous attacks, untruths, malicious gossip, and other evils. Because of the latter, I have had to “unfriend” a few people on Facebook.
This has cost me more than one “friendship”…and maybe you have had the same experience. But here’s the thing…by allowing posts from those people to appear on my “feed”, I feel I am quietly condoning their sentiments. If even one person sees these ugly things and thinks, “She must feel the same way”…I have failed in my Christian discipleship.
We cannot live our lives in a vacuum…and yes, associating with “deceitful liars” offers those folks a chance to see Jesus in us and the way we conduct our lives. But they can observe this from a distance. You can demonstrate a life filled with truth, grace, mercy, tolerance, love, compassion, respect, and redemption from sin through the blood of Jesus without hanging around those who behave differently. The balance is delicate…but with prayerful consideration, you can be a loving Light for Christ – and turn your back to evil at the same time.
As 2014 comes to a close, this might be a good time to “clean up the list”…to evaluate our “friendships” and associations and see if we are holding tightly to the teachings of Jesus…or if we have taken part in evil deeds – if only by default. Will 2015 be a year when we focus more on Jesus…and less on the world and its ways? This is my resolution…what’s yours?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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