The Good Stuff X

Listen to him!

 - From Luke 9

People put down Christians all the time. How easy that is; how uncreative; how . . . lame.

Yes, we miss the mark. Hypocrisy? Yes. Imperfect? Yep. A disappointment? Yes, yes, and yes!

The taunts from scoffers, though, rarely miss the mark. They are a direct hit. They sting. They humiliate and shame. Chins up, ye faithless! Your attacks may have caused another lamb from the Master's herd, to wander off . . . maybe forever!

The Master understood this. It's why he said to escalate these battles to him.

When my daughters were in junior high school, I told them what many Dads tell their young teens: "If you're ever anywhere that bad things are happening, call me. If your friends are pushing you to do wrong, tell them you can't and blame me. Tell them I called and said I had to pick you up for an emergency."

Christ modeled the same for us. Remember that they're not attacking you. They're attacking HIM. But also notice, rarely do they actually go after Him. They know you might cave. But deep down, they admire your Master. Isn't that why they compare you to Him all the time?

Christ is the constant "Good Stuff." They only call us hypocrites, because they know we're not as good as the Lord. So, drop His name.

Judgmental? Racist? Antiquated? Hypocrite?

How about:

Feed the hungry. House the homeless. Heal the sick. Teach the children. Take care of widows. Care for children. Etc. Etc.

Give them a little chuckle and remind them that we're not perfect, but we are just trying to do the good things modeled by our Master.

And then ask them to help you, since apparently they care about the same things.

And see how eager they are to critique you then.

The Good Stuff.

Next Series: Ashes