A Shift of Focus

I don't know if it is just me or not, but it seems that social media becomes more and more discouraging and argumentative by the day, and with this generation being consumed by social media, people are becoming more and more discouraging and argumentative by the day. What could be an opportunity to spread love, to show grace, to live in harmony with one another is instead a common source of dissension. Negativity and snide remarks are constant, and sadly, the one who is tainted is not the one who is producing the words. It is God's name that suffers when we fail to represent Him. As Christians, we are supposed to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are supposed to go out into the dark world and shine light. But how can we shine light if all we do is add to the darkness?

I say this because I believe the Body of Christ has a powerful potential that is too often shrugged aside. It breaks my heart to see people turned away from God by those who claim to be His children. Believers become Atheists. Churches split. The list goes on.

Why do we try so hard to tear each other apart? Jesus says, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand" (Mark 3:24). Is that what we want for His church, to collapse it? We sure act like it sometimes. But we are here for one purpose. The church is here for one purpose. Until we see that, God is not going to receive the glory He so deserves.

We need to see each other not as competitors, but as brothers and sisters united by Christ. Sure, we're all different and we may not all see eye-to-eye on all things, but if we quit focusing on our differences and began focusing on Christ working within each other, I think we would be much more likely to act as the Body of Christ. The words we say would not be aimed to cut one another down; they would be carefully chosen to build one another up. Rebuking would be done in gentleness. It would not be a means for judgement but an opportunity to humble ourselves and help someone else overcome the sin that entangles him/her (while they could come alongside us and do the same - true accountability).

Pointing fingers does no good. Instead, maybe we should consider going alongside our brothers and sisters and helping them carry their burdens. We're not meant to go at this life alone so we need to stop making each other feel all alone in this world. When we see our brothers and sisters falling, that is not a signal to attack. It is a signal for us to "get up" as Jesus so often said and pull them back to their feet. The change we wish to see in the church might just happen then. The Body of Christ would overflow with love and grace, and destructive criticism would be replaced by constructive criticism (the two are quite different). We would become quick to listen (genuinely carrying for others), slow to speak and slow to become angry (less self-absorbed) like we are told to be in James 1:19.

So, if we want to see God's name made famous, if we want to see our brothers and sisters lifted up, if we want to see non-believers come to Christ, we must not forget this: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).