I read a post on a message board I belong to about a woman who would not let her children associate with their best friends after finding out that the friends' parents were a gay couple. I have two problems with this:
1) Though not the focus of this post, further questioning by other members revealed that this woman did not keep her children from associating with children whose parents cheated, gambled excessively, etc. You can't say you don't want your children around those who don't share your values and then ignore all of your values but one. It's ridiculous, and it's going to confuse the kids.
2) As Christians, we are called to witness. To share God's word and the message of our salvation through Christ. To bring people to him. If we only associate with other Christians, how are we accomplishing that mission?
I did ask the woman about the second point, but I never received a response. I hope it at least made her think. I will admit that I'm not the best when it comes to witnessing (unless you count by attempted example or through this blog). Put me up on a stage in front of a thousand people, and I'll speak without a single stutter or shaking hand. But the thought of witnessing to someone one on one makes me want to vomit with anxiety. So I get if someone is hesitant. However, it's still necessary, and it can't really be accomplished if we isolate ourselves into separate pockets that only contain the saved.
Let's look at a few analogies to shine further light on this. Say you're asked to sponsor a family for Christmas this year. Do you go to the wealthy banker up the street who makes millions of dollars and whose family is financially set for the next three generations? Or do you go to the couple who lost their jobs and have no gifts for their children because they can barely afford food? The first already has everything - they don't need your gifts.
If your ship is sinking, and you need to hand out life jackets to the passengers, do you give one to a person who is already wearing one? Or do you give it to the person who doesn't have one at all?
Jesus walked among sinners. Whores. Criminals. Why? Because they were the ones who most needed His word. I can understand the hesitance. Jesus was God made man. You and I are not anywhere close to that level of holiness. And it's easy to worry that you may end up more in the world because you're associating with others who are in the world. But if you wrap yourself in God's word and God's grace, you can stay in Him and still walk among those who need you, just like Jesus did.
It's so easy, as human beings, to condemn others. To write off their sins as worse than ours. But when we say that, we are attempting to negate the grace that they have been given, just as we have. My sins are not any better than the sins of the people in my life who are atheist, agnostic, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, or anything else. I don't get a free pass to write people off because I'm saved and they're not. Where would I be today if those around me who were saved had taken that attitude? If they'd left me out of their circles because I wasn't like them?
So if you've been saved, you have a responsibility to help and guide others. I'm not asking you to agree with them. I'm not asking you to live their life. Really, I'm not asking you anything. But God is asking that you share His light, and sometimes that means going where it's darkest.
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