WORDS DO MATTER. The words of a Christ Follower (a true Christ Follower not a “christian talker”) is always rooted and based in LOVE. (Before we get too “gooey” let me define love): LOVE = KINDNESS. The most basic language of love is seen and heard and displayed in kindness toward one another. EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN BEING A “CHRIST FOLLOWER” at least study His teachings. Please. Please study the teachings of Christ found in the Bible. Start with the section of the Bible called “Matthew.” Go to Chapter 5, Chapter 6, and Chapter 7. The teachings of Christ give us the essence of understanding ourselves, understanding each other, and understanding our circumstances in a new (and richer) way. Sorry about another list, but it is the way to organize this thought in light of what we face in our cultural times. 1. FOCUS ON THE MAIN THING–and LOVE is the main thing! Kindness toward one another changes the world. Granted, being the first one to be kind when everyone else isn’t being kind is like that children’s game where you stand toe to toe, holding hands and leaning back–trusting the other guys isn’t going to let go with no warning thereby dumping you quickly and soundly ON YOUR REAR! 2. KNOW WHO/WHAT YOUR GOD IS YOU ARE SERVING. One thing about serving God: God wants your full and total attention. The first and greatest command: “Have no other gods before me”– “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” YET, WE HAVE SOME HOW GET DECIEVED INTO IDOL WORSHIP (IDOLATRY) ALL THE TIME. If you are an American, you can see it in our “Americanism.” We pride ourselves in how our country was founded, we make the contention that we are the greatest country on the planet, we stake our claim with “my freedoms”–all the while not really keeping God at our center, but myself (at the center). “Americanism” is a great and grave sin of our day. Further, we somehow skew our our spiritual faith into this “Americanism” so that it all runs together in a flag waving/Bible thumping/Scripture spewing animosity and hostility. The enemy delights in our division, chaos, and distraction. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy and loves it when he can pull Christ Followers into a distracted and disjointed version of Christ’s teachings on loving God AND loving your neighbor as yourself (that is, as long as “my neighbor” is agreeing with me?). 3. EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE A BREATH. Next, clear the mechanism of the rhetoric/defensiveness/judgment. Quit defending your position and start listening to one another. If you stop talking and start listening then RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER WILL START TO RETURN. 4. IT IS OF NO IMPORTANCE THAT ANY LISTENS TO A WORD I HAVE TO SAY–what matters is that people listen to what GOD HAS TO SAY!5. When we get so caught up in what is fraudulent, what is corrupt, what is evil, it can become a huge distraction from actually following the teachings of Christ. “My rights” and “My freedoms” end up going in the direction of ME. ME. ME. MY THIS. MY THAT. “Jesus said to his disciple, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)–ByTheWay: If you are reading this right now, you know that Facebook IS NOT censoring Christian faith. I love to see the Lord’s Prayer in print, but it would be better if you actually prayed it rather than just print it on Facebook trying to be some kind of “martyr for your faith.” Facebook is NOT the enemy. Our “struggle is NOT against flesh and blood….” 6. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO CHANGE YOUR APPROACH. Re-tool and tone it down. Lead your friends and family to tone it down. Jesus said His followers were “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”–NOT THE LOUDEST! Salt and Light come through the kindness we extend to each other. ByThe Way–not the kindness we talk about–but the kindness we ACTUALLY EXTEND. Churches rally congregations all the time in doing this and doing that. We do things to “see the smile come across their face”….Is that the right motive for being kind? Jesus instructed us to “do our acts of kindness NOT TO BE SEEN BY MEN.” What do we do? We have to get a video of people’s reaction of our kindness so we can feel good about ourselves. You know what I mean. We all get caught up in it. (God is watching. I wonder what He thinks when we are “high fiving” each other because of how we all pitched in and are “celebrating”–actually–just bragging on ourselves)? This kind of hypocrisy is so prevalent it is a “fever pitch.” No wonder we don’t realize how we sound when we are doing it. 7. “DO UNTO OTHERS THE WAY YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.” Treat others the way I want to be treated. Think about others the way I want them to think about me. Speak about others behind their backs the way I want them to speak about me behind my back. Any one of these points could change the world as we know it. Thanks for reading all the way through. If there is anything you agree with, please hit the “SHARE” button. Blame me if you want to or have to. Ha! We are a “work in progress” that is certain. However, Jesus gave us plenty of “tools” in His teachings to assist us in having the best skills possible for that same work! YOUR BEST DAYS ON THIS PLANET ARE AHEAD OF YOU! Studying and apply the teachings of Christ–you will see it work! God Bless & Much Love, Marc Royer
The Christian Resource Group 