What's the Message?

(photo courtesy of ingodsimage.com)

What if I said, “I don’t care about your dad? I don’t care about your son or daughter, your husband or best friend. I don’t care if they spend eternity in without God.” What if I even acted like I meant it?

Nowadays, we find ourselves hiding behind ‘political correctness’ and the busyness of our over-stuffed schedules, when the bottom line is the same as it’s always been; we dread rejection, perhaps even fear it. We show it in our actions on a daily basis when we shy away from sharing our faith with those around us.

My neighbors to the west don’t even know my name, but they’re somebody’s sons and daughters, someone’s sister or brother or mother or father. And that someone is praying right now, praying that God will use someone to reach their loved one with the gospel of salvation. Just as when we pray that God will use someone to embrace our loved ones, they expect those ‘someones’ to obey when God speaks to them.

Speaking honestly within your own heart, when was the last time you led someone to Christ? When was the last time you even tried to share His love with a nonbeliever? Now, ask yourself why? If you’re brave enough, ask God what He thinks is the reason. Then listen.

If, indeed, we’re feeling embarrassed or fearing that we’ll be rejected, know this; if rejection comes, they’re rejecting God, not His messenger. We hear the chiding, “Don’t shoot the messenger” when the memo bearer is anxious about sharing bad news. But, we’re here to share the Good News. We’re here to help provide God’s answers to prayer.

In our case, the Message and the messenger have become one. We are one with Christ, and one in Christ. In developing our relationship with Him, we grow more like Him every day; we can share His heartbeat and His passionate love for mankind.

Yet, on the flip side of this coin, in many cases, nonbelievers are rejecting the messenger, because we claim to be one with the Message, yet we make the Message look so undesirable. I’ve seen bumper stickers that say, “God, save us from your followers” - and hang my head, humbled.

The Message-giver and His messengers need to agree on the Message, and the Message is: LOVE. Without love, nothing else matters. Without love, no message means anything good to any of us.

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”  Ephesians 4:14-16 (KJV)