What can evangelicals/born-again Christians do to change the negative view that non-Christians have about them?
I'd like to borrow Nike's famous tag line to answer this question: "Just do it." The basis for this response comes from James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The problem with some Christians (myself included) is that we preach love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, etc. but we don't practice them in our own lives. That's what we call a hypocrite. How can we expect someone to believe what we're saying if we can't even do it ourselves?
Let me also draw from my background in public relations. PR deals extensively with the public's view of a certain company, organization, brand, etc. One of the best ways to change a negative stereotype is to be honest. As a PR professional, I would advise my client to be upfront with the public and not try to hide - we all know that just creates scandal (can you say Martha Stewart?). As my Mom would say, "say what you mean and mean what you say."
One of my favorite verses (hence the name of this blog site) is 1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Do everything in love." This doesn't just mean feeding the poor or clothing the needy. This encompasses every action, every thought, and every word - everything. The best way to change a non-Christian's negative view is to love them. Blow them away with God's love - just do it.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Perfect World?
What would life be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned?
Boring. That's what life would be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned. Although that act was the beginning of a lifetime of suffering, I'd like to argue that it was for the better. It may seem absurd to say that suffering is beneficial and welcomed, but let's be honest: "Is it fun to live a perfect life?"
I've learned more things through suffering than I ever have by succeeding. It's in the midst of my agony that God speaks the loudest to me. But the beautiful thing about suffering is that I don't have to go through it alone. Jesus Christ has already experienced the ultimate suffering - death on a cross. Nothing I encounter will ever compare to that.
In his book "Making Sense Out of Suffering," Peter Kreeft says that in becoming man, God transformed the meaning of our suffering. It is now part of his redemptive work.
Kreeft argues that "the only way to guarantee a world without evil is to create us unfree." To me, that just sounds boring. How would I learn to do things right if I never did them wrong?
So thank you, Adam and Eve, for opening my eyes to a whole new world.
Boring. That's what life would be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned. Although that act was the beginning of a lifetime of suffering, I'd like to argue that it was for the better. It may seem absurd to say that suffering is beneficial and welcomed, but let's be honest: "Is it fun to live a perfect life?"
I've learned more things through suffering than I ever have by succeeding. It's in the midst of my agony that God speaks the loudest to me. But the beautiful thing about suffering is that I don't have to go through it alone. Jesus Christ has already experienced the ultimate suffering - death on a cross. Nothing I encounter will ever compare to that.
In his book "Making Sense Out of Suffering," Peter Kreeft says that in becoming man, God transformed the meaning of our suffering. It is now part of his redemptive work.
Kreeft argues that "the only way to guarantee a world without evil is to create us unfree." To me, that just sounds boring. How would I learn to do things right if I never did them wrong?
So thank you, Adam and Eve, for opening my eyes to a whole new world.
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