Controversial Question

I've been raised as a Christian ALL the days of my life!  I am so very grateful for that fact!  What a beautiful gift that my family did give me - the generations before my immediate family included.  But here I stand - a well groomed Christian feeling quite disconnected from the mass voice I once gladly joined.  I have a question that just may not seem to be in line with the Christian norm.  But here I go - because I've been pondering this for some time.

I wonder why it is that we, believers in Christ, have the right to shove our beliefs down the throats of others.  Why is it the 'norm' to scold others for 'going to hell' and being so confrontational about their personal behaviors, the ones that are for them to choose alone.  As I recall, MY God did not SHOVE His views down my throat.  There is the simple fact that Jesus DID indeed come to earth and died on the cross to save me from my sinful ways.  He DID do that but.... then, the best part of all, He let me choose to say yes to Him.  He didn't twist my arm or beat me with my sins.  He chased me in such a tender and loving way - one that was tailor made for me.  He didn't scream at me and damn me and threaten me with hell. He was gentle and tender and loving and accepting.

Just imagine - if your husband forced you to believe and do as he said you should.  Isn't that how the church has responded.  "WE think that Christ died on the cross for ALL sinners and YOU people are about to burn in hell if you do not change.  Live like we do or else!", is the mantra of many.  Some believers even dare to kill those who disagree with their views.  We desire laws to FORCE compliance or else. So much hatred and so much anger.  So NOT the way of Christ!

See, the Christ I know loved me SO much that He gave me His best gift - and guess what.... He didn't wait until I was 'good enough' to give that gift to me.  He gave it to me when I rejected it.  He gave it to me when I didn't understand it.  He gave it to me when I 'thought' I had fully understood and accepted it.  He GAVE it to me even when I messed it up. He GAVE it to me even when I spoke poorly on His behalf.  It was mine. I just had to choose to accept that gift.  It has been mine since the foundations of the earth because it was the plan when He created the earth.  He gave it with love, not anger and hate and threats. He gave it in hopes that I would see the value in it and gladly accept it.

So now - WHY, for the love of God, do we - those who said yes to His most generous gift of eternal life - WHY do we damn, rage, show anger, and judge those who have not yet said yes to Him. How could we expect someone who rejects Christ to honor Him with their lifestyle choices.  How often does our desire to 'save the lost' end with our beating them so brutally, figuratively.  Who would want our 'loving God'.  You see, from where I stand today.... I serve and love a LOVING God who deals with me in a personal relationship.  He loves me just as I am.  How could I DARE present Him to another with the threat of hell?  He isn't offering fire insurance.  He is offering eternal life.  God knows the combination to EVERY heart.  He is the one who stirs us towards Him.  How dare I, a believer in Christ, try to FORCE Him on another.  I wasn't forced.  How dare I think that I must right any and every wrong in the world by FORCING others to live by my standards.  Yes, God's ways are better - but until someone KNOWS God for themselves they really do not care.

God stirs our hearts and draws us to Himself.  I think the fact that there are Christians alive today shows us that He is more than able to save those who are willing to accept Him.  Our job as believers is to be light.  The last time I looked - my lamp wasn't screaming at me with threats of hell.  It simply is light.  It simply displaces the darkness.  No convincing speeches are necessary.  The light just IS light.  Even if it isn't trying!  So, why must we bash others.  Here we are watching others fight for their freedoms and every time we try to impose our view on certain issues it simply causes the opposing view to dig in with more grit and here we now stand with attacks on our freedoms.  Now they are force feeding us with THEIR ways.  How about we all have our freedom to live as we will, you know - like God intended, and leave the saving to God. I bet we would see more good fruit from that choice than we ever will by trying to force our morals on another.

How about we trust God to save the lost and we just focus on being light (we do that by being more like Christ so that we have light in us) so that He can cause men to be drawn unto Himself and then He can point them to the light.  How little faith we must have in our God if we think we must 'make it happen' by force rather than trusting Him and praying for our country and the lost.  Right now, I believe our mouths and our efforts of trying to strong arm others into being like us is doing more harm than it is good.  Let's pray for the lost instead of threaten them with hell.  Hell is real.  God is real.  Let's give God the room to stir a heart and let's just shut our loud mouths.  God is more than able to save this world.  Our light should just shine.  Our job is to be light. We do more good with a shut mouth and on bended knee than our best speech could ever do.  A God appointed conversation is WAY more life changing than any planned conversation we will ever have.  He is the savior, not us.  How about we get out of His way, stop attacking the opposition, pray and then trust God with the rest.   That's how He moves anyway.  Our aggression should be aimed at the powers in hell.  Our love should be aimed at the person.  We are just delaying the process with all of our 'help'.