I Choose Love

I have hesitated to put these thoughts into words, for they are bound to offend someone. That is not the intent. However, I have encountered many people along my journey that are very resentful of religion. After seeing the various things on social media in the past 24 hours, it has only further solidified those thoughts in some. I don’t argue people’s viewpoints, for God gave each of us the intellectual ability to form our own opinions and beliefs. I am bothered by the treatment of others I have witnessed. I will share what I see from my viewpoint. If you don’t agree, it is ok. I will respect your right to believe as you feel led, and I ask you to do the same of me.

I see us, as a society, acting as cherry pickers and compartment makers. To justify our opinions, we pick and choose verses in the Bible that support our claims. We use scripture as a weapon and scare tactic instead of an instructional book to guide our personal lives. We show up on Sunday with our own sins and scars. We come knowing that some have told lies, some have overeaten, some have been envious, some have cheated, some have been lustful, some enter with hangovers, and many come carrying major skeletons in their closet that only are known by God. And guess what? God accepts us each Sunday and showers us with His grace and mercy. I know when I return the following Sunday, I have continued to sin. I am in need of His grace and mercy once again. Sin is sin. Sin is ANYTHING that separates us from God. I don’t recall the Bible ever placing sin into different levels. Look at the 10 Commandments. Honor your father and mother is right before you shall not murder. No where does it tell us that one is worse than the other. As a group of believers, we have done our own leveling of sin. We have cherry picked the things that we have identified to be the “big ones” and conveniently overlook the “smaller ones.”

For years, our country has lived on the foundation of separation of church and state. For me, I appreciate that. I want the freedom to attend my church each week and grow in my relationship with God in the manner in which I feel He calls me. As long as the government does not take my freedom of religion away, then I am not threatened by them telling others that they have a legal relationship. That doesn't change my relationship with God. Personally, I have several friends that celebrated the news of yesterday. They are lovely humans. They love the Lord just as I do. They do wonderful things for society. They are humans with flaws just like me. I have sat and watched them take the abuse of those who place harsh and cruel judgement on them; and the majority of them continue to show grace and mercy to our ungodly behavior. 

It is no wonder people continue to be turned off by us. None of us are perfect. Goodness knows, I am far from it. Why would people come in our church doors when we play God and place judgement on people? I hear of churches kicking out people because they have committed a sin that has been placed in the “big deal” category, I hear of churches shunning certain people who come with certain “labeled” sins, and I see us putting ourselves up on a pedestal as if we are a better person because we don’t do “the big sins.”  We spend so much time, as a Christian community, trying to remove specks from someone else’s eye, yet we fail to recognize the plank in our own. I have seen many posts that are threatening and hateful. That in no way is showing God’s love. I have seen people post that they want to start a prayer chain to pray for this ruling. Instead of starting prayer chains for the ruling, what if we spent more time praying together, focusing on our own flaws and our own relationship with God? Believe what you wish. I won’t argue what you feel led to believe. However, God says the greatest commandment is love. 

We are all human. 

We all are sinners. 
God loves us all equally.

There is no leveling system for sin. 

We are all broken in different ways. 

I choose to not judge. 

I choose to not throw stones. 

I choose to focus on my own shortcomings, not others. 

I choose to not cherry pick. 

I choose to love.