Making A Choice

via TJC

Do we stay safe in our small groups and churches of like minded folk, avoid conflict and do our best to blend in?  Or, do we lead our families as Kingdom men, in a way that shines His light, shares His love, and reflects the peace and joy we have with the Holy Spirit?

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

After 48 years of rough and rugged living, believing in God and not knowing Jesus, the Holy Spirit had His work cut out for Him with some chainsaw sanctification when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  For the last 14 years, my journey has been to dig into my hurts, habits and hang ups to jettison a much junk from my trunk to fly as straight and level as I can.  

Big rocks were not hard to find but hard to address.  Dig up the bitterness and resentment, understand grace and forgiveness. Understand that using brute force and ignorance to address behavior does not provide lasting change.  Lasting change comes through a improvement of heart and intent.  

So as I work on cleaning up my own head space, I live in this clown show that is a daily circus of sin, transgression and inequity.  Media, “news feeds”, Podcasts, pop up adds, knuckleheads in traffic, and the daily demonstration that common sense and common courtesy are uncommon in society today.  

I have free will, so what do I do next that makes a difference?  How can my conduct, character and conversation reflect in abundance the nine Fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control? (Galatians 5:22-23).  

How do I love the sinner and not the sin?  (Matthew 22:37-40, John 13:34-35).

Consider the following escalation…

Courtesy is basic manners, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and following traffic rules.

Tolerance is coexisting and giving folks space, not agreement or approval. 

Acceptance is embracing, celebrating and valuing difference and the phase we truly have the relational opportunity to share The Good News. 

There is not need to confirm to sinful society at the expense of my relational freedom to worship Jesus.  I can be bold in His victory and show it as my heart leads me.  

Daily battle order - where do you need to exercise courtesy, tolerance and acceptance to better share and celebrate with others the good news we all want to celebrate ?