They might hear you, but will they listen?
The Christian community in our nation is often portrayed as a self-righteous and hateful group of people. Many of us are very loving people. We have a deep concern for our nation. We want to see our neighbors succeed and find the love of our Savior.
So why are we perceived as a self-righteous and hateful group of people?
Perhaps our focus is wrong? A friend of mine (Chris Risse) recently wrote on Focus and how it applies to marketing. He spoke of simplicity and consistency of the core value you provide to your customer’s.
As a believer, who is our customer? We interact with two different groups of people and need to understand what we want to communicate to each of them.
1. Fellow believers:
In our communication with this group we can be broad and discuss the deep things of God. We walk together, worship together, and even correct each other in love. This means occasionally we may have to tell a fellow Christian, “Your action is sinful, and God despises that action.” (God does NOT hate the person, only the sin).
Our fellow believers have already bought the product. Now we can discuss a broad array of the benefits of our relationship with Christ and each other.
2. Non/pre-believers:
The current message they often hear from Christians is broad and varied. Individual Christian groups and people focus on a particular sin they find especially despicable. Then they shout what the bible says about it; wanting to call down thunder on those who refuse to listen…. And the non-believer hears:
- “The earth is 7000 years old”
- “God hates homosexuals”
- “Abortion is murder”
- “God hate divorcees”
- “God hate Fornicators”
- “God hates Muslims”
Unfortunately our list could keep going on and on…. I know, you didn’t say “God hates homosexuals,” but that is what the non-believer HEARD. Yes, God hates sin, but He Loves the sinner. (I know because I was a sinner and all too often still sin.)
All of these messages they hear our outside of what our focus should be toward them. Jesus didn’t come to win an election. Jesus didn’t come to prove He was right.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John (3:16 ESV).
He came to love others while He walked the Earth. He came to be the innocent sacrifice to remove our sin so we may boldly come to the throne room of God. He came so we can experience the incredible love of God.
We need to focus our message on love (just like Jesus did.) Why do we expect a non-believer to live a righteous life? Why do we try to legislate them to live a righteous life? We need to reveal to them the love of God.
There is a great diversity of ways we can show the love of God; but our message toward the non-believer should always focus on the message of Love.
Please leave a comment below and tell us one of the following:
Christians, please comment and tell how you can show love to those around you?
Non-Christians, please tell us some of the things you have been told that turned you off to God?