(edited July 3, 2008; grammatical improved :)
***The song Set Me Free, is so much about this. Look for it on the Playlist player********
My heart is heavy lately for the many people hurting today, and you can see it in our kids too. Have you read any of the open blogs lately? To see what I am talking about go on to http://www.playlist.com/ (be warned the language and content is so vulgar it could make a sailor blush). This is serious, I am not talking about a little feeling sorry or the "blues" many people are deeply depressed, dark, and dead inside, even in church.
Look at how many of these bloggers talk about how useless their life is and how much they hate living, they hate themselves, they talk about dark, dark feelings, some even talk about ending it. It is so sad. Many people read these and then go on, thinking these are bad and evil people and it is their choice to feel like this, this is their consequence for sins they have not repented from, or it is evidence they are without God. (We are not to judge each other), we were to Love one another, Love is very important to God, and He tells us we can do all things but if we do them without Love it means nothing. Love is God and comes from God, it is not our Love that heals it is God's, it should be overflowing from us and shared with those around us, like a spark starts a fire, and then the fire can be passed on.
Where is the compassion? Where is the empathy? Where is the mercy? Have you ever done something wrong and had people judge you and turn away from you? That is not how Christ did, he went to the sinners houses, he called them by "their" name, not their sin. Remember the women at the well, the woman with the blood issue, Matthew, even Paul, the worst of the worst. He called them as they were, He showed them compassion and respect and let them talk and acknowledge Him and change their path, once they had made the move, many He changed their names, to signify the new creation. This freedom and hope is the message we should be sharing along with the compassion and maybe even the fact we were once a sinner. But, now we are just dependent on God, not perfect but so wanting to be, not because it makes us look good in the eyes of man, but because Christ is in us and He is perfect and God the Father looks on us as if we were because we are covered by Christs blood.
The first instinct most people have is to break out the witnessing tracks and start talking. That is going to end the communication instead of opening it up. Love them like Jesus, ask them questions to start the communication, listen to them without calling names, without questioning them and making them list their mistakes and sins. Many of these people have known God, have been to church, some are going to church but it is only making the feelings worse. The God they know is not the loving, caring, forgiving God, they know the judging, wrathful God, many have mistakenly thought or been victims of false teaching that they have been turned over to their sins, that they are cut off from God because they did not do things right or that they messed up one too many times. Some have been "good" Christians doing the work of the Lord before they fell and because they knew the scriptures feel that they committed the ultimate sin and that they separated themselves from God forever. Others are just tired of trying to do the right thing and being on the short end of life. They see others succeeding, prospering and they want that and that desire becomes more attractive and more important than living for God and with God. These people need to see the other side of God. They need the " John 3:16 God", and more importantly John 17-19. He does not condem us nor is guilt from Him. He only reveals our sin so that we come to Him to cleanse us, which protects us from the effects of the sin, which like a poison can quickly take over our lives. This should be the opening. Like the olden days Union mission motto, if they are hungry feed them the earthly food and while they are being satisfied, fill them with the eternal bread so that they are full forever. If they have a visable earthly need, acknowledge and address that and then work on the spirtual need. Build a relationship with them, show them Christ, he did not run people over with his speeches and questions, many times He spoke very little, He asked one question and they knew who He was.
If we show God's love, the 1 Corinthians love what a difference we will see on these blogs. People are flocking to "religions" trying to find something that will make things better, but what they do not understand is things have to change, they will have to change for things to be better. And the changing agent is Christ, they will have to humble themselves, strip off all the excuses, all the victimization, all their achievements and reasons they are worthy to be saved and fall at Jesus feet and accept the gift they can never earn, enhance and do not deserve, it is given because of Love. Keeping that attitude of complete and true humbleness and appreciation for the breath in our bodies makes our life worth something not because we are so great or have any thing of our own but because our breath is because Christ gave up His breath and life as God the Father requested Him to do on the cross.
Listen with your heart, close your eyes and "hear" the pain, the questions, the fear, the guilt, the sadness, the jealousy, the despair through the complaining, the excuses, the critical spirit. Many times the person with numerous questions is trying to start a conversation in a safe way not trying to start a debate or question someone's authority. If we all proceed in communication with the humble attitude and focusing on the other person's needs things would be a lot different.
Try it. Pray for the difficult or "emotional" people in your life, ask God to reveal to you a soft spot. To give you the patience and protection from the attitude, to use you to let that person know someone cares, someone sees them and values them and loves them. Christ does, He knows what their problems are, He knows what the answers are, He knows their needs. A hug, a smile, a reminder of what He says and thinks about them, a prayer and some compassion can lead them to THE ANSWER.
Love them, Christ Does!!!
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