We Look Strange by Keith Cook
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself." Matthew 22:37, 39
Christians are strange birds. We often look and sound different than those we regularly come in contact with at work or play. How we come across and how we present ourselves has a great deal to do with how well our witnessing efforts will be received.
How do most lost individuals view us? What kind of messages do we portray by our actions and words? Let's take a closer look.
I have talked with the unchurched, professing unbelievers, rebellious radicals, and confused seekers of truth all over the world and these are five conclusions I have come to.
1. The unchurched see believers as Bible Thumpers. They actually believe we know the Bible and have an answer or solution for almost every ill that befalls a person. They also are intimidated by some zealots who attack them with religious knowledge without "speaking the truth in love." Having found that out leads me to question why so many Christians do not use this great insight for their advantage by actually knowing the Bible and applying what it says to social ills and problems. Using a timely and true word from God has more weight than our opinion. Use the Word but be careful not to beat someone over the head with your scriptural insights!
2. The seeker sees Christians in general as being too busy to worry with them. They assume that we all are too busy and that that is the reason we never invite them to our events, services, and special activities. They drive by hundreds of churches with signs and posters proclaiming all the fantastic events going on inside. While most of us would not crash a party uninvited so no believers will not risk coming to most church events without a personal invitation.
3. Lost people believe that Christians have it all together. No problems, no worries, no needs. Because we put on a good show we can often risk not giving God the glory in how He directs and protects us. We need to be transparent in our relying on Him in the middle of crisis and when we must make tough decisions.
4. The non-churched also believe that Christians make great bosses, teammates, friends, and are basically good people. That is why a church goer who goes crazy and does something tragic makes headlines. It's not just an attack of Satan trying to expose Christianity, it often in a numb and unbelieving secular society who can not believe that someone who professes Christ could do such a thing. Believers are put up on a pedestal and must quickly confess their sins and shortcoming to all it effects. Waiting and covering sin always leads to ruin. We need to be examples and live for Christ all the time. We also must let Jesus be our guide for how to live and practice our faith.
5. A final word on how the lost see Christians. They do see us! They are watching us. They can judge us right or wrong when we display non-Christlike attitudes. The lost judge us most sharply when we live contrary to the Bible. They also critique us strongly when we act like we don't care about a social issue. They get hurt and feel like we do not value them when we dismiss them and do not share our real faith with them.
The Devil has made most believers feel that the lost will be offended if we share with them but I have found just the opposite. They want to talk, they want to begin a dialog about faith. They want to be religious. They need Jesus. He will direct them back to living right and being right with God.
Daily Prayer Focus: Pray that God will give you a deeper sensitivity to the needs of the non-churched and unbelievers in your family, neighborhood, and work place. Pray for a greater urgency to speak the truth with boldness.
On The Go Prayer Focus: All the local churches, committees, and leaders who will be working with On The Go Ministries and the Keith Cook Team in creative outreach efforts in the United States and around the world.
Thank you for taking the time to pray for this important division of On The Go Ministries. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.
On The Go Daily Devotion for April 20, 2017
Brought to you each day by On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
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