Too often I read and hear words that tear people down.
“All of them are dipsticks!”
“What idiots!”
“That’s just WRONG!”
These are just a sampling, and all are something I’ve seen Christians say.
I’m here to plead with you – watch what you say and how you say it – attitude can be just as harmful as the words themselves.
We’re told to encourage one another, and to build each other up. To speak life and not tear each other down. And if we’re told to do that for fellow Christians, how much more so should that be our aim for people who don’t know him!
Many times these comments come from believing that we’re right, and they’re wrong. Having this attitude makes our mind believe that anyone who thinks or behaves differently from us is stupid and not worthy of our respect and kind attitude. I see it in politics. In parenting. In sports. Republicans vs Democrats. LGBT vs straight. Breastfeeding vs formula. Packers vs Bears/Vikings/Lions/Seahawks.
There are so many things that we put up as dividers, whether it’s something that is just a preference, or something we see as a moral issue. We’re so focused on being right that it ruins relationships or completely burns the bridge for building a relationship. But that should not be so! The lost need relationships with Christ’s followers who accept them as they are – not people who use the gospel as a stick to beat them with. Who won’t accept them unless they conform to our standards.
Our words can speak life to the perishing – bringing them the transforming power of the gospel.
Or they can speak death – telling others that they are worthless, and never letting them hear of the hope we have in Christ.
We can’t say “Jesus loves you” while at the same time seeking to win in an argument and prove we’re right and they’re not.
We can show Christ’s love by listening. Asking questions about why they believe the way they do. Sharing Jesus with them as we get to know them and letting God do the convicting and changing. We just need to be faithful stewards of the words of life.
I’m guilty of having that superior kind of attitude sometimes. But I know I’m not superior in any way. So lets all check our attitudes! Let’s ask God to reveal areas where we need to speak life instead of tearing others down.