What a difficult time it is in the world and especially in our own United States. With the constant battles and ongoing strife in our government, our communities, our churches, and within the individual family units, there is a less than ideal atmosphere for us to be living in. One would have to wonder how things were able to digress to the point we are at in this chaotic world, if we are to be truly serving our Lord and loving our neighbor as our Creator intended.
I guess there my dear friends is the crux of the whole discussion. We, as those created in the image of God are not living and interacting with our Almighty God and each other as was designed to happen from the beginning.
So how are we to be acting out, as Christians and the Body of Christ, in what seems to be a God-forsaken society. The Apostle Paul, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gives us some great advice and words of direction in his letter to the church at Colossi. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. Colossians 3:12-15
Wow! Can you and I ever begin to think that such a caring attitude and faithful response could be possible, this side of heaven, by those of us who are children of God and disciples of Christ? On our own, this could never be a feasible outcome. But, if we let the peace of Christ, the love of Christ, rule in our hearts all things are possible!
Jesus gave his followers/disciples a very important message in Matthew 5:13a, 14-16: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so thatthey may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”.
It does not matter how others may be acting and treating one another in this world. We are to be different! You and I are to be difference makers for the Lord. If we, as God’s dearly loved people, do not treat each other with kindness and have forgiving hearts towards our fellow man, how can we ever believe the rest of humanity would be responding in any other way. Let’s shake things up (be salt shakers), and be light shedders for Christ! Pastor McCarty