John1:1-2
Before anything else existed, there was Christ*, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God.
*(Before
anything else existed, literally, “In the beginning.” Christ,
literally, “the Word,” meaning Christ, the wisdom and power of God and
the first cause of all things; God’s personal expression of himself to
men.)
The Living Bible
copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights
reserved.
There is a popular phrase circulating in
“Christian” circles today…”LORD, break my heart for what breaks Yours.”
I hear it often in association with foster children and orphans. And
this is a noble sentiment. I do want to be so in tune with God’s
desires that my heart breaks for what break’s His. But God’s heart is
broken over a lot more than just the plight of orphans. God is also
heartbroken when we operate in fear and misunderstanding - or mistreat
those who are different from us in some way…those who do not share our
beliefs or lifestyles…the poor and downtrodden…people from other races
or ethnic backgrounds.
And yet, discrimination has become more
and more the norm in our society. If someone is not like us – in any
way – they are wrong…and we are right. In many cases, it has escalated
to the point where people are willing to injure – or kill – a person who
is different. And sadly, this violence is often encouraged by would-be
leaders…others with a “high profile”…and social media.
As I read
today’s scripture passage and thought about Jesus…how He is God’s
personal expression of Himself to men…I asked myself, “What would HE
think of all of this?” And I knew instantly that this must devastate
Him. To think that God expressed Himself – His wisdom, power, and
caring – in the form of Jesus Christ - and gets this sort of reaction…is
heartbreaking, and incredibly disrespectful.
This is nothing
new. People have been mistreating others – and disrespecting God for
centuries. But when we know better, we should do better. And don’t we
know better than to mistreat others? Don’t we understand that this is a
direct insult to Jesus Christ – the WORD in flesh?
Doesn’t
this attitude and unloving action represent a direct contradiction to
our faith? We say we love Jesus…that we want to follow Him and live out
His teachings and truths. And then we treat others unkindly. We show
everything from mild disdain to downright cruelty and abuse. We gossip,
lie, steal, cheat, and murder in order to make OUR point…to show that
we are right – and the other guy is wrong. And in doing so, we pretty
well nullify “the WORD” in our lives.
I am not sharing this to
say that you must accept those who are different in some way…although I
do hope you will consider that they are as precious to God as you are.
What I am suggesting is that we take a long hard look at what we are
claiming…what we believe and how we demonstrate our faith in Jesus
Christ.
See if you are truly representing the One who is a
personal expression of God to the human race. How are we demonstrating
His power, wisdom, love, and compassion to others? Or are we? Isn’t it
time we stopped trying to make OUR point…and truly started making a
difference for God as we share the Word with others? Will this be the
day that you begin?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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