It’s
fascinating that a lot of Christians don’t seem to like non-Christians, often
referred to as the lost or the unchurched.
Often we want to keep away from messy people—perhaps missing the obvious that
we are messy as well.
Who’s
on Your Friends List?
It’s
interesting that after coming to Christ and growing in knowledge, we often
distance ourselves from former friends. We seem to have less time for the
hurting and struggling. We’ve found the thing that meets the need in our lives,
but keep our distance from those who need the very thing we’ve found. I don’t
think this separation is intentional, but it happens, and in the end, our
intentions don’t matter.
Jesus lived differently.
One
of the common criticisms Jesus faced was that he spent too much time with
sinners. How many of us could be accused of spending too much time with the
unwelcomed and unappreciated?
It
wasn’t that Jesus was waiting for Paul to write “bad company corrupts good
morals” in 1 Corinthians. No one better understood the importance of spiritual
maturity, scriptural knowledge, a robust prayer life and positive influences
than Jesus.
But
he also knew these things were not for his personal benefit, but need to be
shared with the lost. The Christian life is not about safety and comfort, but
rather about finding yourself in a dangerous place of vulnerable compassion.
Exerpts from Ed
Stetzer's Article on Loving the lost.
