Who Made You King?

Have you ever come across that person who's just too cool for school (or anything else for that matter)? Too cool to laugh at a joke, or even worse; be the center of one. Too cool to admit they are wrong, or walk away from an argument? How does being around that type of person make you feel?

Well, this isn't a counseling session, but I will say that too many Christians have this mindset. "Hey! I'm a Christian! Don't use that language around me!" or, "Hey! You shouldn't do that! That's a sin!" Now, I know what's going to come from this: "Alex, the bible tells us to rebuke people when they sin. How are people going to know what they are doing is wrong, and that God wants them to do something else, if we don't tell them?" I urge you to read on, as I address that issue AFTER the one I intended to tackle before you got ahead of yourself.

Borat got excited when he sat in his chair, and started saying "King in the Castle!" (I know what you're thinking; "Alex! You watched Borat! Gasp!" Let it go.) As Christians, we are told that we have gained sonship with God, and that we now have an inheritance in Heaven. We are, in essence, princes and princesses of a heavenly royalty. Without spiritual maturity, we can act like Borat, and get overly excited about this new chair we've gained ownership of. While there is much to boast about, the time to boast has not come because our work isn't complete. Just as princes and princesses are trained to not embarrass the family name, we have much training to do in order to bear the name "Mr. John Doe-Son of God."

While we are not to even consider watering down the Gospel or developing our own theology, we do have to be sensitive to individuals in order to effectively present the truth of God. Does your approach offend people and get them all hot and bothered, and leave them that way without any reconciliation? Do people not feel comfortable opening up to you about their struggles because they know that you are automatically going to tell them they are living in sin and should do things the way you say they should? Do you find yourself prying into peoples lives, instead of them coming to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to reconsider your approach. Here are some pointers:

1.) God is King. He is Judge. He knows all things.

You don't know what someone is really going through. (Unless you watch them 24 hours a day. If that's the case, you might want to turn yourself in to the police on grounds of stalking.) You also don't know where they come from. Some people deal with certain struggles that are tied in with tragedies and experiences they went through as a child. We can easily assume that a drug addict is a deadbeat who got caught up in that lifestyle, and totally overlook the fact that they may have been sexually abused and drugs seem to be the only thing they can escape from this reality with. They need to know that God want's them to cast their burden on Him, not that He wants to send them to hell for their addiction.

2.) God calls us to be peacemakers. Not warmongers.

Blessed are the peacemakers, the Word of God says. If Christ came to bring peace between the Jews, Gentiles, and God, and we are to be a reflection of Christ, then shouldn't we put away our verbal weapons and promote a message of peace? If you constantly have a feeling to point out other peoples flaws, I urge you to read Jesus' words in which he asked YOU to pull the plank out of your eye before discussing the speck in your neighbors eye. When you realize how wretched you really are, and how much you need Christ daily, you'll begin to have a heart for the lost (and the found, because we all know we struggle as well.)

3.) You don't have to compromise Scripture to promote peace and share the Gospel.

Too many people falsely argue that if you don't point out someone's sin you are robbing them of the opportunity to learn God's truth. To that I say "Good is bad when it stops you from the best." Yes, one or two might be saved by a crazy looking man screaming "fire and brimstone" threats on the beach. This method has proven to be minimally effective compared to building relationships, reaching into people's hearts with your influence, and conducting proper discipleship based on God's Word. Once you've earned your position in this person's life, then you have the privilege of correcting them. After all, Jesus shouted at the religious Pharisees, and spoke out of love to the lost. What does this teach us?

I leave you with this verse:

John 13:34-35  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."