I've had some awesome opportunities the last few days to share my faith. I work in a community residence for mental illness. I work with the same set of people day in and day out 4 days a week, ten hours a day. Our residents are teenagers, and let me tell you, everyday has been the best and worst in my life.
I love my job. I love working with people, and seeing there growth. I love pouring into people and helping them to achieve their goals. I try my hardest to live my faith out in my job. Some days are easier than others. Everyone I work with knows that I'm working to become a children's pastor, that I attend and work in my church regularly.
For the most part I don't bring up matters of faith. When I'm asked my opinion or a question about my beliefs, I am very straight forward and don't hold back. I'm not wishy washy in my answer, I try my best to deliver the truth in love. Yesterday, a resident came to me and told me that his family had reverted back to Christianity and he was very concerned about something he had read. He read in Psalms how God detests gossipers. So he came and confessed that some other girls were gossiping. I took the opportunity to explain to him that he also had engaged in that behavior the week before and that as he read his Bible he needed to let it change him and not use it as a weapon against others. Moments later, he did that very thing. He began bashing other residents over the head with what he had read, and continued in his bad behavior. I was able to talk with him, and honestly I'm not sure what had sunk in, but this is what I'm excited about.
Today at work one of my coworkers and I were talking about this scene from yesterday. I told him what I had told the resident and he said, "I'm so glad you had that conversation with him. Because he'll be able to take it from you because we all know you're background, and you never beat any of us over the head with your Bible." He went on to explain some of the bad experiences he's had with church and church people. We talked for a few minutes and I explained that I was sorry he had gone through some of those things and also explained that unfortunately we often put man-made rules and traditions in places of authority that don't belong there. He then said, "It's like when someone told me I'm going to hell because of this or that. I don't need you to tell me that, I already know it." I stopped him and said, "Well if you ever want to talk about how you can change that let me know." He laughed and the conversation ended after that.
But that conversation helped me to see something important. One that even though I feel like I am an absolute mess, God is still in control. He is still using me in all of my imperfections to shine His light in my job. Why? Because I'm not bashing residents and coworkers over the head with the Bible. The Bible is the Sword of the Spirit. Which means it's a weapon of spiritual warfare not physical. Our Bible is to be a light to the lost, not a stick to beat them with. Like my coworker so aptly said, he knows he's going to hell. He doesn't need my judgments, he needs Christ's love. And the only way he's going to get that is through Christians willing to love like Jesus. Jesus never went around proclaiming people sinners or imposing man-made rules. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, comforted, taught, loved.
Do I love like Jesus? Not even close, but do I try. Yes. Do I fail? Sometimes more than I think I succeed. But we always have the opportunity to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. So if you don't think you're witnessing enough. Ask yourself how do I love? Do I love like Jesus?
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