Hebrews 11:6
You can never please God without
faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must
believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look
for him.
The Living Bible
copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights
reserved.
Last
night, I saw a commercial that featured Ron Reagan…son of President
Ronald Reagan, who was speaking for the Freedom From Religion
Foundation. In this 30-second spot, Reagan asks for support for “the
nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and
agnostics.” He ends his comments with this…”Ron Reagan…lifelong
atheist…not afraid of burning in hell.”
Don’t rush to judge Ron
Reagan…or his organization. If you go to the Freedom From Religion
Foundation’s website and poke around, you will see that their primary
mission is to protect the separation of church and state. Try to
understand why Reagan and other atheists do not believe that God
exists. Could this be in part because of how we Christians behave?
Could our words and actions…our judgments and the “causes” we fight for
so vehemently…actually belie God’s existence and fuel their thoughts?
Do
we demonstrate to others that God not only exists…but that He is the
Author and Finisher of our faith? Does our demeanor suggest that we
trust God in all things…or are we often observed wringing our hands and
worrying over every situation – even while calling on God to handle
things? Could it be that our model of Christian discipleship and faith
is anything but faithful and confident?
I will be honest…a lot of
what I see and hear from Christians is not all that faith-filled. It
doesn’t demonstrate a surety that God exists and is who He says He
is…that He can do everything the Bible says that He can do. Our words
and actions do not affirm that God is autonomous, supreme, omnipotent,
all-powerful…and that He loves His children and wants only what is best
for them.
I’m afraid that what others see from many of us
is someone who is fearful of everything and everyone – particularly
those who are different from us in some way. I’m concerned that others
look at many of us and see someone who falls apart at the first hint of
trouble…someone who is quick to judge, narrow-minded, and has an air of
superiority and special privilege because of Who we claim to serve. I
truly believe that we might be driving away those who are, at best, “on
the fence” about whether God exists…and fully confirming the suspicions
of those who have already decided this.
In countless instances,
we’ve become so busy making a point that we’re no longer making a
difference. And in doing so, I believe that we have also denied God, in
large part. But we can change this. We can start to examine our
lives…and our behaviors…and we can ask God to show us how and where we
need to make adjustments. We can start to operate more in faith and
confidence…and show the world Who our God really is – every single
minute of the day. It’s not up to us to change the minds of others…but
when we leave God room to work and give Him the opportunity, He can –
and will – show up in ways we never even imagined.
When others
look at you, what – and Who – do they see? Do you really, truly believe
in God…and are you depending on Him - for everything? Is this what
others see? Don’t you think it’s time they did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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