I watch people all the time. I love to observe their kindness, their selfish gestures, their generosity. People respond to their circumstances in all kinds of ways. Some who have everything in life are still never satisfied and want more. Others who have little are content to be who they are without a shred of greed or jealousy. I am happy when I see someone go out of their way to make something right. It restores my hope that not all is lost in the world.
Recently I watched a situation brew into a meltdown of emotions, hurt feelings, and anger. I was saddened to see a Christian couple upset because of circumstances, and their reaction was hurtful to others around them. I then realized how much of the heart of Christ we have lost in our daily lives. Recently, I had a special revelation about my relationship with the Holy Spirit. I realized one morning that I had a relationship with Jesus, but I had never considered my relationship with the Holy Spirit. So, I decided to find out about what a relationship with the Holy Spirit was like, and I asked Him to be my coach. Teach me to know you as I know Jesus, and lead me in a way that would make me live out Christ in a better way. I learned in short order He was a great coach, and a kind leader.
One of the first things He shared with me about what I needed to change was my reaction time to events. My wife would tell you I react quickly, I make quick assessments, judgments fly, and I am off to the races with a conclusion. The Holy spirit taught me that it was not wise to react when my emotions are high, and the circumstances are totally unclear. This helped me to realize what people needed to see in me wasn’t my reactions, as much as they wanted to see Jesus. I have begun to ask myself each day, “Will people see me, or will they see Jesus?” When Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel,” I like to think we live out the Gospel so they see what words in preaching can’t explain.
Recently, I have been writing about culture and how our culture influences us from childhood to adulthood. Immigrants come here from various cultures around the world, and it is interesting to see how differently people live compared to others. These cultures all have a history lesson to teach about where we have come from, but they do not define where we are going. As believers in Jesus, we belong to a different culture, a culture rooted in His Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches:
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
That new name represents the new culture of His Kingdom, and will probably define our faith. I have heard preachers say, “We should never be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.” I do understand what they mean by this saying, but the Scripture teaches us to keep our minds on things above:
Colossians 3:2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Breaking the bondage of cultural influence can be tough, especially if it has some religious connection to it. When I first gave my life to Jesus I had some religious training, but it had nothing to do with a relational God … it was focused upon what I did through the teachings of the Church. It was so works based, that I lost interest in the Church and its teachings. Once I surrendered my life to Jesus, then the Kingdom of God make sense to me, and I started to learn how to live as a disciple of Jesus, which brought a different perspective into my life. That perspective is still growing in me today. I don’t want people to see in me the dos and don’ts of a religious person … I want them to see and know the love of God, I want them to see Jesus. It is a great prayer to pray, “Lord, today let them see Jesus.”
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler
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