An Ungracious Christian

1 Peter 2: 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

 This passage talks about Jesus being gracious, but am I gracious? I remember sitting in a dentist's office a couple of years ago and a grandmother was talking with her grand-daughter. The girl was complaining that her teacher had made an error in grading her paper and the grandmother asked her if she was gracious. The girl continued to tell her about the teacher's mistake, but the grandmother again asked her if she was gracious. This gave me a new perspective on grace...not just my focus on being forgiven for ALL of my wrong doings, but forgiving others when they err against us! See what you can learn in a dentist's office! Christ has lessons for us everywhere!

Actually, this passage is saying even more. It's saying that because we've tasted Christ's graciousness through His death and resurrection for us, we are drawn to the Word of God so that we can grow in grace, as well. Am I doing that? To be honest, yes and no. I read the Bible daily and I try to focus on all Christ has done in my life, but I don't focus so much about how Christ wants me to be gracious to others when they do wrong.

Instead, I've gotten caught up in anger or resentment and wanted to eat the doorknobs off, rather than turn those sinful emotions over to Christ's very capable hands. I no longer want to be an Ungracious Christian and want to be more focused on being a better example of all Christ does for me! 1 Peter 2: 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Double Standard Christian

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?  thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?  Romans, Chapter 2, verse 21.

Actually, there is more that goes with this passage.  I just took out the part that relates to me.  When I was in high school, I was visiting a church one time with my mother.  The sermon was especially interesting.  It talked about a parent who was called to the Police Station because their child had gotten arrested for stealing some pens from a local store.  The thing the parent said to the child was, “Why would you steal pens when I can get all the pens you want from my work?”
Some of us may be Double Standard Christians just like this parent did.  Sometimes we are examples of negative things without really realizing what we’re doing.  When we are being examples of how God works in our lives, we need to make sure all our actions and words glorify Him.  We have to realize that we are giving others a message whether it’s taking things from work or laughing at jokes that put down people who are different than we are.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Management Mode Christians

Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Psalm 17:5

What have I done to myself? I'm having a difficult time with maintaining my weight. At times, I feel lost. Why am I experiencing these things? I tried to be very prayerful about all of this and I'll share the instincts that God's given me on this matter.

 I've gotten stuck in Management Mode! My dad's in a veteran's home with Parkinson's Disease and I know that at some point, there may be a time when I will be grieving his loss. The part of me that likes to be in control found it very easy to become a Management Mode Christian. I stopped writing posts and started copying previous ones, because I felt that they had something significant to say that would be beneficial to readers, especially those who have not been reading the blog since it started.

Although I still feel that to be true, I was trying to plan for that time of loss. I was trying to control everything and I wasn't turning it over to God. I wasn't being open to hearing what He was trying to say to me or to what He was trying to do through me. He is showing me that He uses my many weaknesses to show readers like you His strength. If I am not actively writing posts, I'm not experiencing the insight that He openly shares with me, nor am I sharing them with you. If Christ is letting me know this, that means He will take care of me when the time comes that my dad passes. I don't have to try to control everything, so that I'm efficient. Maybe, God will use my grief or inefficiency for His own purposes, that I was negating while I was trying to be in control. This is a lot to be prayerful about!!!

Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Psalm 17:5

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Society Page Christians

 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the earth.  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.  Acts, Chapter 13, verse 46-48.

There was a time when I was confused because the Bible would talk about the Jews being the promised people.  I wondered how I was going to get to heaven since I’m not Jewish.  But this says Salvation is for all people to the ends of the world, which includes me.  A person just has to believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of all in order to go to heaven.  I’m so thankful!  What a simple request.  I don’t have to be born to royalty.  I don’t have to be rich or  be a Society Page Christian.  I don’t have to look or dress a certain way.  I just have to believe in Jesus.  How much simpler could it get?
If God conveyed this to Peter, do you think He wants us treating different races in an undignified manner?  I don’t think it makes Him happy to know how we have race and social class divisions.  We can personally make a change in how we interact with others and serve as role models at the same time.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Easy Way Out Christian

And there was great joy in that city.  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of god.  And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whosoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.  Acts, Chapter 8, verses 8-22.

Some of the things that amaze me in this passage are related to Simon who could use sorcery to get a whole city to be in awe of him and the things he did.  If it was possible then, it makes me wonder if people in power, certain celebrities, religious leaders, etc. do the same thing now.  Are we captivated by particular people who defy all our ethical reasoning? I’m not sure on this one, but it makes me wonder about people in the media or some religions that get rich from people sending in their life savings to them.  This is just something to think about.
Additionally, when Simon saw the power given through the Holy Spirit when they were laying on hands, he wanted it too.  Rather than become committed to his belief in Jesus, doing it the hard way through changing his life, Simon picked the easy way out and thought he could have his cake and eat it too!  He thought he could live his worldly life and buy the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Well, Peter saw right through that plan!
The sad part of all of this is that I somewhat identified with Simon.  Sometimes I’m looking for the easy way out to accomplish God’s Will with the least amount of risk on my part. As an Easy Way Out Christian, I need to be more open to being the person that God wants me to be.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.
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