Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves
before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is
able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if
he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never
serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel
3:16-18
Lately I feel
convicted to talk about something that very few of us our comfortable
with. As a follower of Christ, I found that we struggle to fit into a
politically correct society. We feel like it is taboo to mention that we
are Christian while other groups are able to speak openly and freely about
their lifestyle and promote their agenda. Now before there is a debate on
morality, I am a firm believer in both the diversity and inclusion of all
people regardless of their sex, color, religion, or creed. Whatever you might
feel, that is what I believe. My point however focuses on what it should
have always been; us as Christians.
Our mission as
Christians is to represent the light of God in a way that honors Him. We are
often characterized by the things we oppose. However, we as a people do
not oppose anyone’s choice. As today’s verses point out, what we will say
is we serve our God first and foremost. No other. Will there be
causes that we passionately dispute? Of course! Yet all because my
wife and I don’t always agree with how best to discipline our child does not
mean we love each other or our daughter any less. We are a people filled
with hope, compassion, and love willing to give to all whether they believe or
not. We are not perfect, but we strive tirelessly to be better
representatives of Jesus Christ, who indeed was perfect. That is who we
are, and it’s time we let the world know as much.
Over the next few
weeks, my devotions will be centered on the idea of how we as followers of
Christ can turn the tide against a world that sees us only for what we do not
represent. So let’s speak openly and honest. We can be at times
some combination of judgmental, hypocritical, exclusive, and devoid of
love. But this does not define us. These are, like all sin, flaws
that display our imperfections just like anyone else. However, we strive
to do better, and we have hope that we will continually grow and be better
representatives of God. It does not make us better than anyone else, but
it states like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego unequivocally who we
serve. How will you respond when others question what you are for?
What will you do to better represent God in the discussion? My prayer is
when world begins to tear you down, we stand and say who we really are.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment