Shining Our Light in the Darkness
As a city commissioner in my small town, I get lots of messages about a variety of topics from my constituents. Recently, I received one that got me thinking about all the name-calling, labeling, and hateful language that has become commonplace in our world today. Regardless of the side of an issue, someone thinks we’re an idiot, bigot, racist, or lazy for having our opinion if it’s different from theirs. Emotions are high, and we no longer listen to anyone who doesn’t align with our views. There’s even a name for it–cancel culture.
The message triggered a whole thought process for me. I helped me realize that we need to be careful that our responses to others don’t damage our position rather than improve it so we can shine our light in the darkness.
The message said, “Please send vibes to the Universal Force asking that compassion and common sense will prevail over religious zealots. Freedom for all is a Constitutional Mandate in the USA, and millions of people the world over have fought and died for FREEDOM!” They sent along a video (that I couldn’t watch without subscribing to a website I chose not to subscribe to), presumably about the recent ruling over the abortion pill in Texas. I had trouble with many aspects of this note, but I will only focus on the comment about religious zealots.
The comment got me thinking, Does this person believe that those who stand for life are religious zealots? I’ve never considered myself in those terms, so I researched the topic. A zealot is defined as a person who shows zeal, is an excessively zealous person, a fanatic, a member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea who advocated for the violent overthrow of Roman Rule and vigorously resisted the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to heathenize the Jews. (dictionary.com)
Under the Thesaurus tab, I found the terms: die-hard, extremist, fanatic, and radical. Still, none of those words felt like they described me. I prefer to go about my business in a quiet, unassuming way. Interestingly, only one word is in the antonyms list under the zealot in the Thesaurus. Conservative. Now, that is a word I relate to!
I have always considered myself to be a conservative. I usually am one of the most conservative people in the room. But then, as I prepared for this topic and did a bit more research, I realized that I don’t fully identify with the dictionary’s definition of conservative. It says that a conservative is disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., restore rational ones, and limit change. I do not identify with the portion of the definition that calls for things to stay the same at all.
We need to change many things to redirect where society is headed. The status quo is not working for us. A friend recently pointed out that according to a recent study, only 4% of American Adults have a biblical worldview. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. No wonder our world is in chaos! And no wonder our kids are confused about who they are, how they are designed, and how they are valued. No wonder people are anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed!
If you’ve read my book, A Different View, you know I feel strongly that many things considered acceptable in our society today are anything but biblical–things like our acceptance of abortion, homosexuality, tolerance for sin, hatred of those different from us, etc. I base my position on these issues on Biblical truth and often marvel at people who claim to love Jesus but look the other way. Too many accept the sins of society in the name of love or, if they acknowledge them as sins, are responding to these sinful behaviors in hateful ways. Our world is in chaos, and Satan is having a heyday! No wonder progressives think those who oppose their liberal agenda are religious zealots!
And then it occurred to me where the problem comes in. Most of us who hold conservative values dear tend to hold back and remain quiet about the things that go against our biblical values. We don’t want things to stay the same, but we hold back on speaking our views out of doubt or fear of judgment, so it seems we do. Could we be more zealous? Let’s not go to the point of being zealots, but certainly, we can respond to the day’s issues with more zeal.
There are three areas I believe Christian conservatives who hold a biblical worldview as truth need to make some changes so we can be more zealous without coming across as zealots.
First, we must immerse ourselves in the Bible to ensure we speak God’s truth, not our own.
Second, we need to stop being so self-righteous, judgmental, and even hateful to those we see as falling short of living a Godly life or supporting stances contrary to what we believe to be true.
And last, we need to get over our doubts and fears and speak up when God gives us the opportunity to do so and allow the Holy Spirit guide us to do so in a Godly way.
Scripture repeatedly warns us that false teachers will be prevalent in the end times; that people will only hear what they want. Based on the low number of Christians who believe the Bible, it is evident that Christians are not even aware of this concern, much less fearful that they might be falling for the lies.
Too often, Christians work off of what we think is right, not what God says in the Bible. Too many have written off what God says because they don’t want to believe His word is still valid today. Sadly we can’t always go with what our clergy does or doesn’t say from the pulpit. Many support secular ideals that are not consistent with God’s written Word. I don’t care who you follow; make sure they are in the Word and are speaking God’s truth. If you vet people you follow based on what you want them to say, you may fall for a lie. Are you willing to risk eternity on heresy, or do you want to know truth?
In reality, hard as we try, there will be times when we will miss the point. Integrity and honesty are characteristics I value highly, but I don’t know what I don’t know, and your pastor, preacher, or favorite influencer doesn’t either. We do our best with what we have and trust that God will make it right if we miss the mark. To ensure you are on the right path, always check the messages you receive against Scripture.
Did you catch the word trust in that last point? It is essential to our relationship with Jesus, but absolute belief is in short supply. Few people who call themselves Christians trust God. They, I mean we, are so busy doing God’s work we sometimes forget to make sure we are doing Godly work. You see, He will give us an idea He’d like us to consider, and we fall all over ourselves trying to make it happen before He’s given us the go-ahead or prepared the way for us. Other times He will show us a principle He’d like us to learn, and we go crazy trying to apply it to situations that aren’t applicable. No wonder we get frustrated when things don’t work how we want. We’re trying to do God’s work to ensure that things work out how we think they should without regard to how He wants them to turn out!
But how do we know when we are doing it His way and not our way, you ask? We know when we are stressed, overwhelmed, and worried about the outcome. When we are losing sleep, straining relationships, and feeling like things are out of control, we take on more responsibility than we need to. We are trying to do God’s job.
On the other hand, even when we are working hard, and exhausted from our efforts, if we are at peace and can feel calm, even amid storms that come our way, we know we are in alignment with God and His will.
But what about all those people who don’t get it? The ones who are perpetuating the lies, spreading hate, prosperity, and evil? Shouldn’t we hate them and try to make them stop?
David addresses this in Psalm 140. In it, he says,
O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
And lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 140:21-24 NLT
Like us, there are many times when David’s hatred for his enemies came from his zeal for God. David felt that God’s enemies were also his. His hatred grew from a desire for God’s righteousness. He, too, wanted justice to prevail. Is it okay to have anger at people who hate God and love evil? Yes, we should be angry about the corruption in our world. But what about the people who say they love God but are perpetuating evil? What are we to do with them? If you’re like me, I typically respond in one of two ways. I either shirk away because I doubt I can make a difference, or I rush in with advice on what they can do to “fix” their lives and live for God.
How about you? What’s your response? Is it one of those, or is it something all together different? Scripture reminds us that God will deal with those who go against His will when the time is right. It’s not up to us to pass judgment or fix someone. We do not need to seek vengeance on God’s behalf. When we truly love God, it will hurt us deeply when we encounter those who hate him. It is a fine line to walk because while we seek justice against evil, we are to pray that God’s enemies will turn to Him before He judges them.
We never know when the person before us might be the next Saul waiting to encounter their moment of truth. God will use people, events, and even non-believers to accomplish His goals in His perfect timing. I pray that the people I encounter will see Jesus through my words and actions, and at the same time, I will see Jesus through those same people. If I look for signs of His goodness in them, I will find it. Hopefully, they won’t have to look too hard to see it in me.
Recently on the C-Suite for Christ Podcast, I heard one of my favorite political figures, Mike Huckabee, tell a story that we can all benefit from. He shared how he went to a youth gathering in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas as a young man. At the event, Billy Graham shared how we can make a massive impact in the darkness with just one tiny light. He illustrated how the entire event center lit up in minutes by sharing the light from his single candle in the dark arena with those around him and each person sharing theirs. He pointed out the significance of sharing that light in the darkness. No one would have noticed if that same activity had occurred in a fully lit room.
It’s the same for us. When we only share our stories of how Jesus has impacted our lives with the people who already have a committed relationship with Him and live a biblical worldview, are we making an impact? Or do we need to take our light into the darkness? Could we make a more significant impact if we step outside our comfort zone and share God’s love and redemption with someone not living a biblical life? Can we overcome our fears and let the Holy Spirit do His work?
Remember that Jesus calls us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44.
Jesus did just that, didn’t he? Though the people sought a military leader who would lead a revolt against Rome and its oppression, Jesus proved that wasn’t His way. Instead, by surrendering to God’s will and submitting Himself to death on the cross, Jesus showed us how we, too, are to give up our tendency toward selfishness and self-righteousness. While we were still sinners, He demonstrated how to love our enemies in the most graphic way. Though we may disagree with the lies that society calls freedom, we are called to respond in a way that demonstrates that Jesus is the Lord of our lives.
That means we will trust the Holy Spirit to guide us through challenging times. We will seek the courage to live in God’s will when the world thinks us foolish and weak. We’ll keep and love our unplanned babies when everything points to that as a huge mistake. We will remain silent when someone smears our good name. We will choose the path that leads to eternal life, even when it means forgoing the promotion, losing the sale, or ending a relationship. When we trust God, He will show us how to love the unlovable even when we don’t feel love for them. Even if they will hate us for it.
It is challenging to tell those who say they are believers from those who genuinely are. But if we shine our light into any dark space we see by loving the individuals despite their shortcomings, they will see God through us and want to know Him deeper. We don’t need to know where believers are in their journey, whether they are dreamers excited to know Jesus and learn more about Him or Sherpas leading people down the wrong path; we need to handle them with kindness, gentleness, and patience. Trust God and allow Him to show you where you need to be to help others to know Him.
I could go on all day on this topic. In fact, I do in my books and my membership. I want to help you overcome your doubts and fear of judgment and help others know the one, true God–not the god the world has created who champions sin in the name of tolerance, but the God who loves us enough to help us to love the sinner and hate the sin. If we make no effort to affect the world by shining God’s light, we are of little value to God. We are virtually worthless to God if we hold back and blend into the world’s ways. Don’t hide your light by being quiet when God nudges you to speak up. Don’t go along just because the world is shaming you for doing it God’s way, and trust God to help you through every situation. He will, but you’ve got to step out in faith and trust Him.
I love how it was put to me recently. Faith is not a belief system; it is a way of life. Stop saying you believe in God and start showing that you believe God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
Until next time, always, always, live your more!
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