Did you ever have a “friend” in high school that loved causing fights? You know the kind. They act like your best friend but whisper bad things about others in your ear. Then they turn around and say nasty stuff about you to others. They strike a match, sit back and enjoy the flames.
This kind of person has no interest in right or wrong. Justice is a joke to them. All they want is blood.
The world today sees a similar attack, and many Christians fall for it. We don’t realize that powerful persons and entities seek to destabilize society by any means possible. They aren’t really interested in gender ideology or immigration. They just want to see the world fight about it to gain power from conflict. Satan manipulates our moral compass to do his dirty work.
What’s really going on here?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have convictions. But it’s become so much more about taking sides and much less about people.
The best examples of how to rise above it all come from Scripture.
When the woman was caught in adultery, did Jesus take a side? Yes. He took the woman’s side. She was caught in the act. Adultery is wrong. According to Jewish law, it was punishable by death. Jesus didn’t condemn the woman though. He sidestepped the political argument and shot for the heart instead.
He condemned all sin. He elevated mercy above all things. Do we see current events from this heavenly point of view?
“Should we pay taxes to Caesar?” the Pharisee asked. They tried to set a trap for Jesus. It’s the same trap we fall into when we get tangled up in political debates. Beat your drum all you want, that’s fine. Do you really think you’ll change their minds? The religious powers of biblical times preached morality for generations — and it didn’t work. Stealing is bad, murder is wrong, corruption is evil”¦ we all know this, and all these things continue to thrive. How much more difficult will it be to convince someone of more ambiguous (secularly speaking) issues such as gay marriage?
We must mark the boundaries of morality, but this can never replace our testimony of the Risen Lord.
When people challenge me about the Christian position on homosexuality, what’s my reply? I present Jesus to everyone – gay, straight, whatever – since we’ve all sinned and we all need a Savior. I know the issues. I do my homework to understand the complexities. I can debate it until the cows come home. But I’m done trying to convince anyone. I only hope to inspire them to seek God instead.
How can you change a heart? How much are you praying for those on the other side of the political fence? Or are you too preoccupied with out-arguing them? Give unto God the things that are God’s.
Stop taking church teaching and weaponizing it politically. This only feeds the spirit of the Pharisee.
Our true mission
Take your eyes off the headlines and look to your community, to your family. Where is the need? Who is suffering? How can you help? Where can you share the Gospel? Don’t you trust in this method over any other? How much are you willing to love?
When we see injustice, it should be denounced. But like Jesus, condemn all sin — not just the other guys. Otherwise, it’s politics – and all politics cares about is winning. But the victory of our Lord has already been won. Believe this! Go all in and trust God’s plan. The political arena is not the essence of our faith. Instead, we are preoccupied with saving souls and helping those in need. This work is much harder, and our only hope for success is our complete dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Take up true arms
If we’re so afraid that we’ll lose the political fight, it appears to me that we’ve already surrendered the spiritual one.
Political arguments are easier since we can rely on intellect, knowledge, and wit. The spiritual war, however, requires other resources that we are afraid to trust.
It‘s paramount to understand and identify this ploy used by Satan himself to keep us off balance and distracted.
Return to the real fight. Our Captain calls us. Be not afraid.
