The Goodness of God

A little while back I witnessed something that was rather upsetting to me that I felt compelled to share some thoughts on. I work for a company that provides bus services for students at a local University. So, I see the occasional public display for various movements, belief systems, politics, or protests. 

On this day two gentlemen came, each with their own huge 5’x6’ signs. On one sign it said “abortion is murder” with a scripture referenced and some other things written on the other side I could not make out. On the other gentlemen’s sign it said “You’re going to Hell if” with a long list of things from various religions, various sexualities, to catholic and false/fake Christian. The gentleman with the Murder sign spent 90% of his time just yelling stuff and the other one was engaging with people. But the best I could tell, the students that took time to engage with them were yelling back at them or mocking them. Then many others who didn’t bother were walking by me talking poorly about them and mocking them as well.  

See, I wasn’t always a follower of Jesus. As a matter of fact, at one time I hated Christians. My experience with them had been that they were nothing but a bunch of self-righteous, judgmental hypocrites. I would mock and belittle them when I encountered them. So, I was reminded of who I used to be, and why. It was the goodness of God that led me to Him. It absolutely was not someone yelling at me and telling me why I was going to hell.

The first scripture God burned into my heart is:

 1 Timothy 1:5 Amplified Version

Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.

The whole point of our instruction as a follower of Jesus is LOVE! While I might have agreed with everything on their signs, had I been able to read everything on them, I feel pretty confident in saying that not a single student saw Jesus shine through either of those two men that day because their method did not express love. Their intensions might have been pure and their hearts in the right place. But if we do not engage with people in LOVE, no alternative motive, no personal agenda, with authentic faith, we are doing it wrong! Let the love of Jesus shine through you! It will break every barrier and shatter every wall. Let the goodness of God lead them to repentance.