Economy, Politics, Religion and What's really wrong with the world!

There is a lot of talk about many issues going on right now. There is fear and sadness over the economy. There is frustration with the government making decisions that take away freedoms. There is always a religious undertone to issues even when people don't realize it. I don't intend to get into specifics of all these things. I mainly want to share some things I've learned in my classes that can be then applied to these issues at another time. I can say this: Talk is good. God created communication for many reasons. Words are designed to draw us closer to each other. They are designed to reflect the glory and beauty of God. Yet more often then not words tear people down and judge others as silly, unworthy or stupid.

I've had thoughts rolling around in my head for quite some time on a Christian's role / purpose / focus for relationships and life. They center around the counseling class I just finished and the counseling one I'm currently taking. 2 themes I've learned in the classes are what I want to share and briefly elaborate on in this post.

Here they are:

1- Relationships - Our interactions with people should be one of moving toward others. This can be hard sometimes. There are often people who don't seem to be a "good fit" for us based on personality, circumstances and so on. Yet all people struggle to varying degrees. As a Christian we shouldn't be choosy in how to respond to them. A suffering person needs compassion. Even a harsh, abrasive person needs compassion. Even those that appear or admit to being stuck in some on-going sin need compassion. Everyone needs acknowledgement that they have worth and dignity. (Elaborating there would have to be another post that compares cultural version of self-esteem with the claim that a holy and just God created us...in HIS image.) We all will have people in our lives that we feel are difficult. How WE respond to them demonstrates how well God's character has impacted us. Over and over again in the Bible Jesus was shown as moving toward the ones that society rejected. HE wasn't afraid to get involved with broken, suffering people. He had a great balance of demonstrating compassion for the situation. Yet at the same time, when it was appropriate, he challenged people to overcome sin and difficulty. When we wish to be like him, we need to realize our interaction with others should first show compassion and a desire to know and understand the other person. Only when that link has been made can we effectively speak truth in their lives and motivate / help them to change in areas that need it. Take some time to think about passages in the Bible when humans sinned, they often ran from God and hid. Yet GOD pursued them and sought to make the relationship right. Over and over he forgave each sinner. He demonstrates great love for all His creation in this way!

2- The overarching theme of life displayed in the Bible...Christians know the Bible is a story of redemption. More specifically between God (the creator) and his people he created...So at the heart of the Bible is a STORY of relationship! Over and over throughout the Bible we have stories of God calling people to be in relationship with HIM! Adam and Eve, Noah and his family, Moses and the Israelites, the Kings and Judges, and on and on....You don't have to read very far to see that people will never be able to live as God wants them too. All over the page of Scripture, the people sin. The pattern goes like this: the people sin, receive judgement by God - resulting in unfavorable consequences for the people, the people return to their devotion to God, the people are restored to peace / fellowship with God and may even be blessed. The cycle repeats over and over. God, in His love for his creation sends His son, Jesus, to come and repair the rift and make it possible for the relationship to be restored. One thing I've known for a long time, but continues to grow in greater understanding, is that while Jesus does save individuals from their sin to be in restored relationship with him...the real heart of the gospel is a COMMUNITY of people in relationship with God. It is the biggest testament to love, grace, patience, holiness, etc when many people with different personalities and likes / dislikes can work together for common good and bring honor and glory to God, our creator.

I know that there are people out there whose experiences are different then mine. I am thankful that there are people who have wonderful examples of relationships and communities that follow God well and are a light in dark places to struggling people. My story has not followed that path, even from the time I was a little girl. Most of my life has been fighting against sin and injustice and abuse alone, a VERY disheartening and draining place to be. The story of many of my friends from abuse support groups have not followed that either. After 3 years (and probably meeting 500+ women in similar situations to me) what I see of the current state of the church isn't one of glowing examples of the way God wants things to be. I know there are good churches out there. I would love to acknowledge and celebrate the ones who are diligently support and protect families who are hurting. When you think about how patient God is with us when we stray from Him and combine that with the idea of moving toward others, it's easy to see how we all fall short in our relationships with others. We may at times wonder why the churches don't impact the world as much as we used to. Maybe it feels that way because the world is bigger then when I was younger. Or maybe it truly is because of compromises churches have made on the way that undercut the message of salvation, love and mercy. It feels to me that the culture continues to go farther away from godly principles. God IS patient and loving, yet there was always a point in the Bible when the Israelites had forsaken his commands that they were carried off into slavery or fell into bondage to idols for many years. When I see countless women asking / begging for protection and help from their churches and not receiving it, I begin to wonder how much longer God will show our nation favor.

I long for change, for us to be the witnesses we need to be - the ones we've been called to be - to countless people who are hurting, confused and lost. If just one person reads my words and evaluates the way they relate to hurting people, then any criticism I may receive is worth it. If one person changes the way they respond to those around them because of this, then God will be honored. If one person gets involved in their church to be more supportive of struggling people then my time in writing this was certainly well spent. (Granted I hope for many people to read this and to have their eyes opened to the difference we can make, and work to implement change in a positive direction, but I'll settle for one!)

I believe we should be careful but truthful about hurts we've experience or witnessed. Staying silent doesn't result in change and only perpetuates problems. We were created to be relational people. We were created to share our burdens, not just with God, but with a community of people. If individuals don't take a stand for what is right, then often no change will occur and people will continue to be wounded in the process. God wants us to be about building his family. We should learn how to love and live like a family that is willing to sacrifice for those who are hurting and seek to demonstrate that love to those around us. Helping others "learn" of God's love and sacrifice can happen in many ways. One of those ways is through the lives of Christians that pursue others in order to initiate relationships of caring and support both individually and in a community setting. I know if I am grieved over the hurts people are receiving from churches, that God is even more grieved. I want to do what I can to bring about change!

(To quickly get back to the title of my post...) I don't know all the best answers for the many issues facing our country (and other countries). What I do know is if Christians want to affect change in the world, we need to LIVE in a way that makes the world not just take notice of our commitment to stances on certain issues, but the values behind them, the love for others, the concern for other's needs and overall well-being,...then maybe our opinions, strategies and solutions will begin to make a genuine difference in the world. (To be clear, I'm not saying that there aren't people already doing this, I'm just hoping each person will evaluate whether or not they can say they truly are!)

I'd love for you to share your thoughts on this issue.