Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Kindness: Serious Christianity

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Evangelist Minetta Hare said that people don’t take Christianity seriously because Christians don’t take Christianity seriously. That cut deep when I read that because I know for the most part that is true. We Christians display our lack of seriousness when we aren’t willing to sacrifice for Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us” (Ephesians 4:32).

On Monday I posted this as one of two scriptures that I based how Christians should exhibit being good, not just going along to get along but truly displaying Christ-like behavior. An Ephesians 4-32 word study paints with clarity the picture that should be our lives: We are required to be useful for each other, compassionate toward each other, pardoning each other’s violations toward us just as God the Father forgave the sins of those who trust in Christ because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We must do what’s required in Ephesians 4:32 for Christ’s sake, not the sake of our comfort, not the sake of our feelings, not the sake of our tough reputation, not the sake of us not being played but because Christ went to great lengths for our forgiveness; we, too, must go to great lengths to be Christ-like and forgive our brothers and sisters their trespasses. This is what we are required to do. This helps us to help one another grow (be useful). This shows the world the true nature of Christ. This is a big part of taking Christianity seriously.

“. . .[L]et us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, . . .” (Hebrews 12:1).

Each of us has our own weights and a plaguing sin that keeps us from doing what God would have us to do. We always have to fight against these. But I believe that every Christian must fight against what prevents us from being good, fulfilling the commands in Ephesians 4:32. Giving in to ourselves only shows that we are operating for our own sake and not the sake of Christ and His kingdom. Our charge is to be good, to be like Christ, taking Christianity seriously so that others take Christianity seriously.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Hypocrite No More

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She was convinced that her friend did it on purpose, even though the friend denied it. At first she believed her friend, but the evidence against her was mounting and was now overwhelming. Instead of talking to her friend, again, and even bringing a mediator to the meeting, she decided that she would be cordial when she saw her at church, simply smile and speak. That would be it. “I’m still going to be kind to her,” she told me. “I have nothing against her, but I’m just going to smile and speak and keep going.”

I understood her reaction, having done as much myself. It takes a lot of energy to mend a situation that 1) you didn’t cause; 2) came about because it seems like someone lied; and 3) ranks on your list as trifling, and those you choose to do without. Yet the Scripture tells us to be good, which speaks to being useful in your disposition, expressed through the way you speak and what you do. This goes beyond the motions of speech and act but comes from a heart that seeks to be like Christ.

“By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

The goodness that we are called to is based upon these scriptures. Our behavior is not about us going along (going through the motions of speech and action) to get along (appearing that all is well amongst us). It’s about showing the world who we, Christians, belong to. Going beyond the appearance of good to actually saying and doing what is useful gives credibility to Christianity and Christians who call on the name of Jesus Christ as lord and savior. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). And what better way to begin this process than with self-examination? We must seek true transformation in our interactions so the good we do is contagious and truly reflective of a heart seeking to be like Christ.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Get the Junk Out

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Time heals all wounds, the old saying goes. But this is not true. Instead what you do with the time given to you is what allows the healing to take place. Many people don’t want to take the time necessary to make things change. Maybe they don’t have the capacity, because the hurt is so fresh or no one ever taught them the necessary steps. Well, this post will give you some necessary steps so when you are in the midst of pain, you will already have the tools to be implemented. This will also help you to guide those coming behind you so they too will be equipped. We need to take the time outside of crisis moments to figure out how to cope in the crisis moments so we don’t set ourselves up for a complete fall.

Remember, the two areas that Christians are warned to combat are vanity of the mind and lasciviousness (See No Christian Pimps Allowed). Vanity of the mind deals with what’s going on inside of us and lasciviousness expresses what’s going on in the mind. For example, if you have deep hatred for someone (vanity of the mind) that has been brewing for years you may decide to just punch them one day or curse them out (lasciviousness). See, if you don’t deal with the internal junk, the junk will manifest externally. And only God, through Jesus Christ, can clean you up permanently, where you walk unbound on this earth and eventually experience eternal freedom from all consuming junk.

Steps to Being Level-Headed

1. Get to know Jesus Christ in salvation. Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to ensure we have a place in heaven.
2. Get to know God in sanctification. Once you have a place in heaven, you have to improve your walk on earth. Philippians 2:12 says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This tells us that now that we have a place in heaven, we better live to express that God now resides in us. We can do this with God’s power (Philippians 2:13). Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You must then study the attributes of God so you 1) know what behavior to seek after and 2) understand that He is a god that you can trust to help you succeed.
3. Get rid of what will cause sin internally and externally. You may have to throw away some treasured items that will cause your mind and body to sin. You may have to stop hanging with some folks that you know are toxic. You may have to stop watching certain movies and hanging certain places to get your mind right so your body will follow.
4. Remember God’s promise. If you purse God’s presence by seeking to be level-headed, great things will happen: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5).

Being level-headed may not be easy, but it is possible when we let God be the Helper that He tells us He is.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Practice Teaching Good

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Teach good things—standards from the Bible—so there will be peace with God and peace with men. That’s too simplistic, was what I suspected the naysayers would say about the premise of what I wrote on Wednesday. I can understand how they would say that, looking at the complexity of issues the world faces today, understanding and recognizing man’s sinful nature and acts, understanding and recognizing their own sinful nature and acts, and seeing that the mess of a world we live in was not created in one day. This type of reasoning is easy to understand when we only focus on the mess we see and not focus on the God who can redeem the mess. He is where our focus must be. Otherwise, we are defeated before we even begin to teach anything good.

God is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing. His power resides in believers of Jesus Christ, and being obedient to His Word effectuates His power through us. His power is what created the universe, parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, keeps me from abusing my children and cussing out my husband and restrains me from other sinful desires. We must recognize His power in us. Otherwise, we are defeated before we even begin to teach anything good.

So go forth in confidence to model what you want mimicked. We know that if we are around anyone long enough we pick up on each other’s characteristics. There was a season where my friends and I laughed alike, not because we were cultish, but we subconsciously influenced each other, constantly being together. And there are times when I wonder where my children get the phrases they say; then I find my husband and me saying them and realize they have picked them up from us. So do and say what you want repeated:

1) Exhibit the 10 Commandments.
2) Display the Fruit of the Spirit.
3) Develop practical lessons based on the 10 Commandments and Fruit of the Spirit and teach them. Have bible study with your children. Share your findings with your friends. Offer to host a Bible Study with neighbors or coworkers. Get an accountability partner to encourage your walk. This is doable.

These provide a good starting point because they are the basics and the basis for expected Christian behavior. You will be copied whether you want to or not, and even those who are skeptical about the power of God’s Word will pause to see how your life is different and think twice about their doubts. They may even decide to want Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and join you in the fight to bring about peace with God and peace with men.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Three Tips for Avoiding Slander

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Avoid evil for evil (Romans 12:17)—Human nature’s typical response to someone doing something evil to you is 1) disbelief; 2) to wonder why she did it; 3) to figure out how to get her back; and 4) to get her back. This pattern always leads to slander. Wondering why often has you creating scenarios regarding your culprit’s thoughts and the motives in her heart. This will not change the slander nor make your culprit remorseful. Neither will trying to figure out how to get her back and getting her back remove the wrong done to you and change your perpetrator’s heart. Instead of traveling the slanderous road, bless the one who did evil to you (Romans 12:14). You can do this by 1) praying that God changes her heart and 2) doing something more practical for her like providing for a basic need or sending her a note of forgiveness or encouragement (Proverbs 25:21-22).

Focus on being a friend—Sometimes your friends are the ones who do you wrong. With them too avoid evil for evil and concentrate on being a friend by 1) loving at all times (Proverbs 17:17); 2) providing earnest counsel (Proverbs 27:9 and Ephesians 4:15); and 3) encouraging and challenging her (Proverbs 27:17 and Romans 14:19). Loving at all times includes even when your friend shows you no love. Love should always be unconditional because this is how Jesus Christ loves us. If you concentrate on being a friend, you don’t have time, energy or inclination to travel the slanderous road.

Remember your job as an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)—Whatever you do is a reflection of our Christianity. If you wrong people because they wrong you, people will believe the God you claim to love does the same. You’ve heard, “If that’s the way Christians act, then I don’t want to be a Christian” or something similar. As an ambassador of Jesus Christ, you have to represent Him by doing what He would do, loving the way He loved. This is the way you draw people to Jesus Christ. This is the Christian’s main mission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Remember, God says that He will provide vengeance to those who have done evil (Romans 12:19 and 2 Thessalonians 1:6). We must trust God at his Word, all of it. If He says to avoid evil for evil , be a friend, and remember our job as ambassadors of Christ, this is what we must do. This is faith and is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). We must think about what our actions will accomplish and then choose the actions that will reflect the character of Christ. Easy? No. Required? Yes. And being nonslanderous is possible through prayer and following the example of Christ (Psalm 119:133 and 1 Peter 2:21).

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith