Day 2453 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


1 Thessalonians 2:3 NIV

I think this distinction really needs to be made and clearly understood about our faith and our sharing of the Gospel. We don't do this for us. We don't do it in pursuit of any kind of personal gain. We don't share the Gospel because God has promised us some kind of reward for every soul turned to Him. This isn't like turning in used soda cans for a 5 cent reward. We do it because we know the power of the Gospel and the joy of knowing that our eternity will be spent in peace rather than suffering.

But I think we’re all used to living in a place where people rarely do anything if it doesn’t benefit them in some way. We’re constantly left wondering what someone’s trying to sell us, what their angle is, and what kind of secret motives they really have. What’s in it for them? It really shouldn’t be that way. People should do good things and help other people just because they want to. But alas, there are many things that shouldn’t happen that are standard operating procedure down here.

That’s why I think people outside of our faith need to understand that we’re not trying to sell you something. We’re not holy recruiters trying to sucker you in to joining some kind of freaky group that meets once a week in secret and does weird stuff. We’re simply beggars who are telling others where we found some bread. That’s it. No secret motives. No personal gain. Just a love for others and a desire to see folks find the same hope and joy that we’ve found in Christ.

And I think those of us inside our faith needs that reminder as well. If someone points out that you may doing something you shouldn’t be doing, that doesn’t mean they’re trying to attack you. If someone comes along side and tries to push you to do better and grow in the right direction, maybe they really do only want the best for you. But I think we’ve picked up a little bit of this worldly habit of seeing the truth as a hurtful weapon rather than a crucial need.

Nowadays people are extremely quick to become offended. That’s just the direction that this place has decided to go. People push back against anyone who tells them the errors they see or points out the sins that they notice. We’ve decided to make comfort our goal and anyone who tries to shake us out of that must just hate us and want us to be unhappy. But what if we stopped assuming the worst in everyone and opened our minds to the possibility that some may just be trying to help us?

Now I know that idea will never again take hold on this earth. Too many have gone too far down that road of distrust and comfort seeking. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. It doesn’t mean that we simply give up and let the cards fall where they may. We still have a job to do while we’re breathing temporal air. We still have chances to share the Gospel, reach the hurting, and make an impact that has eternal significance. We can’t throw in the towel and live the rest of our stay in fear of rocking the boat.

Again, this isn’t for us. Whether you’re a believer or not one yet, know that anyone who tells you the truth isn’t doing so because they want to ruffle your feathers. Anyone that shares God’s message with you isn’t doing so to convince you that you’re a miserable person who needs to be ashamed of themselves. Maybe they just love you enough to not lie to you. Maybe they just want the best for you and aren’t willing to allow you the ease of staying comfortable when there’s something so eternally crucial on the line.

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