A Word For My Church (And Yours)

Today is election day! As if I needed to remind anyone that the culmination of the most divisive election I've ever witnessed will be decided today. Truthfully, I'm not even worried about the outcome. Sure I voted and have my opinions but once I mailed my ballot I gave it up to the Lord. 

I am more concerned about how the church will respond to the results of the election. It will be a true measure of where they are in Christ.  I'll be watching and praying and hoping that MY church is the picture of Jesus Christ. 

This year, I've had a hard time putting into words the reasons why I have felt so put off and burdened by the certain attitudes from people in and outside the church, but mostly inside it. As I've been studying proverbs and listening to some wise teachers, I've finally figured it out and I want to chat with you about it. 

There's a whole lot of scoffing going on and I think we, as believers, need to distance ourselves as far away as possible from it. 

A scoffer...speaks with contempt about people, enjoys the failures and judgment of others, doesn't take correction, only entertains their own ideas, makes light of sin and judgment, mocks people they hold in contempt.

Don't we see so much of this, especially now, as the fire heats up around the election? How much are we allowing the snark, contempt, and scoffing to dominate our conversations and platforms?

This isn't about determining who is a good Christian or not, this is about WISDOM. Psalm 1:1 says that it isn't wise to sit in the seat of scoffers, or take counsel from the wicked or stand in the way of sinners. And the next verse says that those who avoid those things will be "like a tree planted by streams of water...in all he does he prospers."

I'd rather be a tree and prosper.  

Scoffing and mocking and snarking looks a lot like our culture and we aren't supposed to reflect the culture and the world around us. We reflect Jesus. Not the world. Nor its ways.

There is too much at stake. Scoffing is the fruit of fools, not the wise. Nor the fruit of hearts surrendered to Christ. Let's reflect the heart of the Father, not the spirit of our nation.

This was penned by Kristen Lavalley on an Instagram post, but it may have well come straight from my own heart. 

Church, let's make Jesus proud.