This is Not Our World

Imagine a workplace in which all of the employees spent the majority of their days ordering each other around.  Criticizing other workers for their performances.  Questioning motives.  Exposing flaws.  Hoping to see others fail.

Would anyone want to join that team?

And do any of us believe the employer would be proud of his team?

Sometimes this is what it feels like to be a Christian.

Preachers criticize other preachers.  Pastors write articles and post status updates that take shots at other pastors half-way around the world.  All in the name of protecting Truth.

Church people make public statements about sensitive issues and then wonder why their neighbors do not want to join them on Sunday mornings.

Committed followers of Jesus blast their rants all over Facebook in efforts to trash local businesses, corporate entities, or city governments that have not met their personal standards of excellence.

People with Bible verses all over their profiles Tweet mean and nasty words to politicians, public figures, and anyone else who does not meet their expectations.

Now it's true that we have freedom of speech.  And the venom people spew might even be accurate in content.  But does that mean it's the right thing to do?

After all, the people who anger me are not accountable to me.  They are accountable to God.  God created them.  He gifted them.  He loves them.  He doesn't need me to help Him care for or discipline His children.

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.  Romans 14:4

In this day and age, exposing corruption, staging protests, and using the pressure of social media to bring about change, might be necessary.  I will concede that.  And maybe the world in which I want to live will not exist this side of Heaven.

But I do believe we have taken our freedom of expression to an unhealthy level.

Just about every day I read a quote from another Christian that makes me cringe.  I am tempted to allow every frustration to offend me.  And I fail to meet my own expectations!

Life is hard.

But instead of attempting to destroy someone online or talk about things that are out of my control, I take a deep breath and ask God to help me focus on the plan He has for me.  Who am I to criticize another man's servant?

God is big enough to protect Himself.  God is caring enough to lead us back home when we've wandered away from Truth.  He doesn't need my help.  He demands my love.

We are all servants.  Let's quit pretending that this is our world.