Real Life Stories – Page 37

When right feels wrong

Leave a Comment / June 27, 2011 June 27, 2011

It is so much easier to do the right thing if our percentages for a positive outcome increase. For example, drinking and driving leads to a much greater chance of an accident…succumbing to a fit of anger leads to strife within your family…stealing could lead to an arrest and jail time.

But…it gets a little harder to do the right thing when the percentages for a positive outcome look a little fuzzy…or even downright nonexistent. What happens then? When you have a friend who is living in sin, do you confront them in love, like the Bible tells us to? Or what about a child who says they will “hate” you if you don’t let them do “X”? Do you stand up for what’s right, even in the face of that heart-breaking statement?

You see, when we choose to do what’s right, we do not always have instant gratification. We do not always see the benefit of that right away. And, frankly, sometimes we never see the benefits.

Many, many years ago, I watched someone confront someone about something that was sinful in their life. It was done with love and grace. But it didn’t really matter…because that person’s heart was hard. And the relationship between them was affected permanently. To my knowledge, it was never restored. So, did the person who did the confronting do the right thing? Yep. Did they have a positive outcome? Nope.

But sometimes you just have to wait for awhile to see the positive outcome. Like, take me, for instance. I have written in journals since I was in 6th grade. One day, while dealing with my own teenagers, I decided to read over what I had written as a teenager. What I found there was surprising. I did not remember the anger…true anger…I felt towards my parents when I was not allowed to do certain things. The anger was shocking! But here I was, 30+ years later, and it had all faded. The only feeling that was left in me was deep appreciation and a grateful heart for my parents’ solid commitment to be obedient to the Lord above all.

So often we find ourselves caving in to the “possible outcomes” instead of doing the right thing. We think through all of the possibilities. And then we grow scared. And we do nothing. But, in the long run, we pay. That friendship you are guarding will grow weaker as you and your friend travel in different directions. That child, who is crying out for boundaries (no matter what their mouth is saying), will often walk away from God, figuring it just doesn’t matter.

But not everything needs a conversation, either. After much experience, I have learned to speak up with much more hesitation and discernment. Let’s be honest–some things…many things…are not worthy to be confronted. And many people who are outside your intimate circle have no interest in listening to you (unless you are their pastor or another spiritual leader). We need to be wise!

If we determine that we need to take the step for a conversation, here are a few other questions to ask that are helpful: Is the sin I see habitual? Is the person committing the sin truly committed to the Lord? Will this sin destroy their life if they continue on in this path?

Doing the right thing is not always easy. In fact, it is often the opposite. But we need to strive to do the right thing in all circumstances. Not just when we can rely on positive results. Easier said than done.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

On traveling to a third world country, part 2

Leave a Comment / June 23, 2011 April 26, 2017

As I have been processing all that I observed and experienced on my trip, I have come up with a list of insights and thoughts. It is not comprehensive, of course, but here are some of the things I realized and learned while on my trip to Haiti–

1. If you have enough food to feed your children you are blessed. If you have enough food to feed yourself, you are doubly blessed.

2. People have very similar emotions and relationships and personalities…no matter where you travel.

3. America is a beautiful place.

4. What I complain and moan about often isn’t all that important.

5. Happiness is not dependent on material wealth.

6. The choices here in this country for just about anything (cereal, paint colors, golf courses) are almost unheard of in other parts of the world.

7. If living for Jesus doesn’t ever take us outside our comfort zone, then we are missing out on some huge blessings.

8. Don’t let the porters at the airport intimidate you into handing over your life savings!

9. Clear, pure water from your faucet is an amazing blessing that most of the world does not have.

10. Sharing the gospel isn’t as hard as we think it is.

11. The sky in Haiti is unspeakably beautiful.

12. Trash Collectors provide us with a wonderful service which we take very much for granted.

13. America is a beautiful place (yes, I know I put that one twice).

14. A person’s conscience will inform them that they are living in sin if they are living with someone of the opposite sex and they are not married.

15. The few flowers I did spot were like beacons of color in a mosaic of brown, sandy dirt and green weeds.

16. Hearing a familiar worship song or hymn sung in a different language is a reminder of how all nations will all worship together in Heaven.

17. If you have a house with electricty and running water, you are in the top 20% of the richest people in the world.

18. God’s timing is impeccable.

19. Heaven must look much sweeter to someone who lives in a barren field, in a small tent, with rice and beans making up 90+% of their diets.

I could go on and on. Mostly, I realized the many blessings I take for granted, but instead should be deeply thankful for. But many of these things are material blessings. And while I realized how rare and unusual it is to enjoy them, I realized something even more important—

20. If we have heard the gospel and embraced it…If we have changed and transformed lives because we are so in love with our Savior…if we are truly saved from our sins and not just making an empty profession…THEN we can claim to be brothers and sisters in Christ. And it doesn’t matter from what country we hail…the color of our skin…or the language we speak. And the joy that can be found worshipping with other brothers and sisters who also love the Lord is unspeakable.

On traveling to a third world country

Leave a Comment / June 20, 2011 April 26, 2017

I spent last week in Haiti with my family. When we arrived at Port Au Prince, it was with great fear and trepidation, as none of us had ever been to a third world country. As we traveled from the airport to the compound where we were to stay, our eyes beheld unbelievably sad conditions. From the makeshift tent communities set up everywhere to the little boxes they called “bathrooms” to the men standing on the streets because of a 75% unemployment rate. It was hard to take it all in. As our eyes scanned the countryside, we saw half built buildings, the place where they buried 200,000 victims of the earthquake in a mass grave, and cattle, donkeys, and goats anywhere and everywhere, all with their ribs clearly showing. As we observed, we talked about the hopelessness we saw in the country. Can this country ever be “fixed”?

But during the course of the week, we realized that our job (and the job of the missionaries serving there) is not to fix the country. It is to share the gospel and minister to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

It reminds me so much of that story where the the father and daughter were walking along the seashore among thousands of stranded sea stars. The father started throwing them back in the ocean one by one. The little girl looked at her father and sadly said, “you aren’t even making a difference”. And the father, with great wisdom, replied: “it makes a difference to that one”. I thought of that story often this week. It makes a difference to that one. We were there to minister to whomever God put in front of us. In is His sovereignty, He knew whose heart was ready to hear the gospel. He knew who needed encouragement to keep going. Because He knows everything.

And the interesting thing was…while we were there to minister to the Haitians, they in turn ministered to us. The joy in the lives of the Christians there is a wonderful thing seldom seen here in America. The warm hugs given without reservation to a stranger would be unusual here.

Sure, they have lots of problems, even in their Christian communities. And only being there a week gave us little insight into the working of the communities. But it was with great humility that I observed the grateful eyes and heard the soft spoken “mercis” with which they took a bag filled with rice and beans that would feed their family for at least a month. And I felt great shame over the things I find myself complaining about. We are living so far above survival here in the states that we have lost track of what truly matters.

You see, life is really not about us. Most of us Christians will walk around saying that with our mouths…but do our lives match our words? I know that I, personally, love my comfort zone. But what if that comfort zone is not where God wants me? Are we willing to go where He asks? Whether it be to a different country, the inner city here in America, or to bring foster children into your home? What are YOU doing to further God’s Kingdom?

Luke 12:48b says “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” No matter your economic status here in the United States…even if you are on welfare…you have more than 80% of the rest of the world. You have been given MUCH. What are you doing with what you have been given? It is a question that should truly be considered by all of us.

A Personal Testimony

3 Comments / June 9, 2011 June 9, 2011

So many of us languish in the land of the “Impossible”. We may have a desire to serve God in a specific way but we are halted by fear of the unknown or we are halted by lack of finances. I want to take just a moment and share with you how God worked out all of the details for our family of six to take a mission trip together. I am going to start at the beginning–

Since my children were small, it has been one of my greatest longings that they do not leave our home without experiencing a trip outside of the culture of the United States. I believe without it, we American Christians are in grave danger of holding a worldview that is not only very small, but also often inaccurate. And, so, one of my personal goals for my children has always been for each one of them to go on a mission trip. MY plan was to take them one at a time. I would take the girls and my husband and son would go on one and we would do this as we could afford it. But God had a different idea! One I like better!

Last fall, while looking for a trip for my husband and son to go on, we came across a trip offered by GAiN (Global Aid Network) to Haiti. As we studied the details of that trip, we realized that we could all possibly take this trip together. And then came a few obstacles–

The first obstacle was our 11 year old. To go on this trip you need to be 13. When I talked with the leader she said they never make exceptions. I was disappointed and we made the decision to go ahead and just have the guys go without the rest of the family. But, as one last-ditch effort, I decided to contact a dear friend that my oldest daughter and I had made on a former mission trip with GAiN. She knew our family and she works in the office there, so I thought it couldn’t hurt.

A few days later, I received an e-mail. “Contact me about your whole family going on the trip.” When I had contacted the leader, she explained that an exception had been made. Eventually, I figured out that the man in charge of the “exceptions” was none other than my friend’s husband! God had been orchestrating back in 2007 for me to meet and connect with just the right person that could enable this trip to be a reality.

Next came the obstacles of finances. We figured we could afford it by sacrificing but lots of little things started adding up. For example, did you realize that to take 6 people to a third world country, you will spend almost a thousand dollars in vaccinations? And then we found out that the trip to Haiti only started in Miami and we would need to pay to get our family to Miami. This was going to cost at least $350 per person, plus the baggage fees, as it was a domestic flight. These were expenses we had not planned on. But again God stepped in and took such good care of us!

While trying to find a flight to Miami, I was discouraged because prices were going up and the team was having a hard time nailing down the flight out of Miami to Port au Prince due to some difficulties with other groups who were going. I was getting very nervous and shared this with our team leader. She suggested that I try to find a direct flight out of JFK airport and they would credit our trip $350. So, I started to do some checking on flights.

Would you believe that a direct flight from JFK to Port au Prince cost us almost exactly $350? So not only would we not have to deal with changing planes and layovers, but we would be saving at least $2100 by not having to fly to Miami! But God wasn’t finished yet!

In January, our 15 year old had taken a trip to Brazil with her school. The trip back was delayed and she ended up getting an $800 credit from American Airlines. We didn’t know when we’d use it, but it was certainly a nice gesture on their part.

But would you believe that American Airlines is the ONLY airline that I found that even provided a direct connection from Haiti to Port au Prince for the dates and times that we needed? So, now we had $800 to put towards our flights that was a true gift. This covered the unexpected costs of our vaccinations.

I am not sure if I have communicated my excitement in seeing God working out these details! And, due to length, I haven’t even shared a couple of other really special ways God chose to work. Do you realize that God cares about the details of our lives? He is alive and He is working! Sure, it is now always how we want. And sure, it doesn’t always look like it to our human finite eyes. But God IS working and occasionally He shows us in ways that no one would dare call a coincidence. What a blessing!

If you are living for Him and you want to please Him with your life and actions, He will come alongside you and work out the details in amazing ways. Don’t you dare forget it.

On love and respect…and tone of voice

1 Comment / May 26, 2011 May 26, 2011

The other day, as I was shopping in the store, I heard a woman’s voice say, “You bring too much junk food into the house. You have to stop it”. Or something like that. But her TONE of voice said “You stupid idiot, what is wrong with you?! ” I turned to see who she was speaking to and found an older couple. The woman was speaking in this condescending, holier-than-thou, tone to her husband, who was shuffling behind her with his head down. What is wrong with this picture? This is one of many times I have seen a person treat someone who should be…at one time probably was…the love of their life with condescension and unkindness.

Have you ever seen spouses treat each other like this? Have you ever treated your spouse like this? I know I have. I recognized the tone of voice the woman was using, because, sadly, I have used it on occasion. But if we get in the habit of treating our spouse this way, we are essentially adding bricks to a wall that will grow taller and stronger with each incident. And, if we are not careful, it will end up casting a dark shadow over the relationship, eventually drowning out the light. We need to constantly be on guard against treating our spouses in this way.

And this goes for your private moments, too–just because you are a model wife or husband in public does not mean you are treating them with love and respect at home. Many is the couple who look so happy on the outside, but their true relationship is quite the opposite. And, oftentimes, the breakdown in these relationships started when we stopped treating one another with respect and kindness.

The other day, I came across a couple I had never met. The woman had to leave for a moment and the husband proceeded to spout off several unkind remarks about his wife, then rolled his eyes when he told me they had been married 50 years. I got the impression that he felt like the last 50 years had been a mild form of torture. The only thing that made him light up was when I asked about his grandkids. When the woman returned, she gave me the impression that she was unpleasant and bossy. From the outside, it looks as if this couple has lost all respect and love for one another. It was heart-breaking. I wonder if all of those years of treating one another with disrespect and unkindness had changed a couple who had pledged to love one another for eternity to two people that couldn’t stand one another?

If this is something you struggle with (and, if we are honest, many of us do, at least on occasion), why not sit down and have a heart to heart with your spouse and ask them if they feel like they are loved and respected? And, if not, why not? Find out if your words have degraded them…discouraged them…disheartened them. And if they work up the courage to be completely honest with you, do not make excuses. Do not grow defensive. Listen carefully. Apologize.

Treat your spouse with love and respect. Honor them. Be grateful for the way God made them. Remember why you fell in love. And, in the process, let’s be a shining example of marriage as God created it. Let’s show the world that it is possible to be in love for a lifetime!

Ephesians 5:22-33

God isn’t surprised.

2 Comments / May 23, 2011 October 12, 2014

The other night our family was on the back porch on a lovely evening. We were talking about something. I can’t even remember what it was. But our whole family was surprised about a decision someone had made or something someone had said when out of the darkness we heard a small voice say, “God isn’t surprised.” Some of the wisest statements come from 12 year olds sometimes.

God isn’t surprised. So simple and yet so profound. God knows everything you and I will think–do–speak–accomplish–or not accomplish while we live on this earth. He knows when we will leave this earth. He knows absolutely everything about us and about everyone else. So nothing surprises Him.

The cancer is not a surprise. The car accident is not a surprise. The betrayal of a friend is not a surprise. The lost job is not a surprise. The tornado, the tsunami, and the flood–none of these surprise God.

I know we all “know” this. But have you ever thought about what this means? It means that God is in control. God is Sovereign. And if we believe what the Bible says–that God loves us–then we can rest in His will for our lives. It will not always be pleasant. It will not always be easy. But we can trust Him. We have to trust Him. What else is there? What else is there for us to grab hold of?

We have a choice to make every day. We can respond to the trials of life, be them great or small, by trusting our Heavenly Father or we can grow bitter and angry. It is a choice. God will not force you into His will.

I would like to leave you with something that was written by Octavius Winslow from a book entitled Soul Heights and Soul Depths (1841)–

The royal path to glory is a divine mosaic paved with stones of diverse lines. Today, it is a depth almost soundless; tomorrow a height almost scaleless. Now, a shadow drapes the picture, somber and rayless; then, a light illumines the camera, brilliant and gladsome. Here, the “song” is of mercy, sweet and entrancing; there, it is of judgment, sad and mournful. “When men are cast down, then you shall say There is lifting up.” But, a divine Hand, veiled and invisible to all but faith’s eye, shapes and directs the whole; and, assured of this, the believing soul is trustful and calm. “He led them about, He instructed them,” was the history of the Church in the wilderness; and each stage was a school, each condition a blessing, each event a lesson learned, and a new beatitude experienced, –learned and experienced as no other. Variety, rich and endless, is stamped upon all God’s works and operations; not less is this seen in the circuitous path by which He is leading His people home to Himself. It is this ever-dissolving, ever shifting scenery of the Christian’s life that unfold new views of God’s character, and brings him into a closer acquaintance with His own.

The Story Behind JellyTelly

2 Comments / May 19, 2011 December 6, 2020

Disclaimer: Since this was written in 2011, I have been very dismayed to see Mr. Vischer go a very heretical direction. While this is still an interesting testimony that we can learn from, I recommend that you take it at face value and do not follow this man who has proven himself to be very confused at best or a false teacher at worst. December 6, 2020.

I had the wonderful privilege of listening to the testimony of Phil Vischer the other day (the link is below if you are interested in listening). Phil Vischer created Veggie Tales in the 90s. My kids grew up on Veggie Tales and I had always wondered what, amongst the rumors I had heard, exactly had happened. The podcast will give you that story. But he also shared the reason why he named his new venture “JellyTelly”. And that is what I would like to share with you.

You see, he was a man with a mission when he created Veggie Tales. He had a dream. And he fully expected God to come alongside him and support that dream. His dream was to accomplish great things for God using animated films. Of course, God would bless it! Why wouldn’t He?

But Mr. Vischer learned a great lesson. Just because you dream something wonderful to do for God, doesn’t mean it is His will. He talks about how dreams have become idols in this culture. “Dream your dreams” and “any dream is possible” are the mantras of the day. It is okay to have dreams. But not if the dream itself becomes more important to you than God.

And, so, after the Veggie Tales dream turned into a nightmare and then proceeded to die, he had a decision to make. He is incredibly gifted (I am saying that…he did not say it!) and wanted to continue using his gifts for the Lord. And, so, he ventured back into the world of animated video. Slowly and on a much smaller scale. And he started JellyTelly.

He named JellyTelly after jellyfish. And this is the heart of what I want to share today. Because his reason for doing that challenged me. I thought it might challenge you, as well.

Have you ever seen a jellyfish on land? It looks like a drowned plastic bag that somebody forgot to throw away. It cannot move, it cannot do anything if it is cast up on shore. It just lays there dejectedly…hopelessly.

But if it is in the water…if you could see it in the sea…it is a thing of absolute beauty! It flows with the current and the ebb and flow of the current causes its tentacles to wave about in the water. It is where it should be. The current directs it to food. The current determines if it will live or die. It can only move slightly up…and slightly down. That is the only movement a jellyfish has.

If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we are like that jellyfish. We can choose to be like that flat, discarded plastic bag on the shore when we choose to disobey God’s Word and ignore His wisdom…when we choose to rebel against His will…when we tell God that we know best and “this is what I’m doing, God, and I expect you to bless it”.

BUT…when we, instead, submit our gifts and talents to the Lord and His will…when we rely on His wisdom and obey His commandments…when we rely on Him to meet our needs and to give us our dreams..then we become like that beautiful jellyfish floating in the water. Reliant upon the Lord for our needs and our desires. Knowing that He will take care of us better than we could ever take care of ourselves. He will provide in ways you never dreamed possible. But only if you get back in the water. If you are stuck on the seashore, stubbornly telling God what your plans are…you will miss out on so much. Let’s make sure we are in the current of God’s will.

Here is the link, if you would like to listen yourself to his wonderful testimony–

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/Radio.aspx?ID={D70BEA02-B56B-423D-A1BB-75A61996D0C0}

Weighing ourselves on the carpet

Leave a Comment / May 16, 2011 May 16, 2011

The other day, in the midst of cleaning the bathroom, the scales had left its normal home and instead found itself on the bedroom carpet. When my daughter stepped on the scales, she weighed a mere 64 pounds. That number was considerably lower than reality. And it got me thinking…

You see, in our day to day conversations, we love when people agree with us…compliment us…sing our praises. But some of us are always weighing ourselves “on the carpet”. We only listen to the good things. We only want to hear the positive.

When someone comes to us with a criticism…or they disagree with us…we tend to do two things. First, we may rationalize in our heads why the “mean, unloving” person could not possibly be right in their estimation or conclusion. And then, oftentimes, we put our feet firmly on our comfortable “carpet” and ask those we know who will agree with us what their opinion is about the criticism or statement.

I am not referring to biblical issues here. I am referring to…

*When your husband tells you that the dress you are wearing isn’t the most complementary to your figure. Instead of getting mad and turning to your friends (who often do not tell you the truth, anyway), be thankful your husband is willing to tell you the truth.

*When your wife tells you that you never listen to her. Instead of finding your buddies and talking about how “needy” your wives are, take her out to dinner and really listen to her.

*When your kids tell you that you have been grumpy lately. Instead of getting defensive and spouting a list of excuses, try examining your words, actions, and reactions…one by one…so that you can see how they might be reaching this conclusion.

*When your friend tells you that your child was caught smoking, or at the R-rated movie you told him was not allowed, or that he cheated on a test. Instead of turning away from your friend and defending your child, ask the hard questions and deal with the reality of where your child may be spiritually.

*When your pastor convicts and challenges you from the pulpit. Instead of looking around at others who “should be listening”, look at yourself.

You see, so many of us want to just weigh ourselves on the carpet. We only want to surround ourselves with people who will tell us the things we want to hear. But be careful. Because you will harm yourself and your family if you aren’t willing to listen to the truth. And let’s face it…we all have areas in which we need to grow. We all have areas in which we are not pleasing our heavenly father. And if we don’t have anyone in our lives that will help us see what areas still need work, then our growth will be seriously stunted.

Sure it hurts when people tells us a painful truth about ourselves. It hurts a lot. But, in the long run, if we can receive someone’s godly counsel with humility and grace, we will be thankful to the person who stuck out their neck to tell us that painful truth. And we will realize something. That person really cares about us. They cared enough to tell us the truth. Don’t get angry. Be grateful!

And, listen…if the person talking to you is not right in what they are saying…then…SO WHAT? Let it roll. Examine yourself, just to make sure. Then talk with someone who will be honest with you, so you can be doubly sure…and then…let it roll right off of your back. Accept the criticism with humility, recognize it as false, and then move on. Don’t sit in bitterness and resentment. It is not worth it!

Why don’t you move your scales today?

Proverbs 13:1

Pass the Salt, Please

Leave a Comment / May 9, 2011 September 9, 2014

Salt has gotten a bad rap in the last few years. High levels of it are thought to cause high blood pressure. Have you ever tried to eat any vegetables or soup without salt? I never realized the importance of salt until my mother started cooking without it. Needless to say, we keep the salt shaker close by when we go there for dinner. Salt is necessary to make food taste its best. Salt is also a necessary nutrient our body needs. But salt needs to be shaken on carefully. Because if you use too much the food becomes inedible.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells believers that we are the “salt of the earth”. If we think about this in light of the salt shaker on our table, we can draw a few useful conclusions–

1) The salt is useless if it is in the salt shaker. In other words, if our only circle is made up of Church, Christian Schools, and spending time with our Christian co-workers, we are hanging out in our own personal salt shaker. Don’t get me wrong, my own kids are in Christian school and I know what a blessing church friends and Christian co-workers can be. But are you spending any time getting to know unbelievers? Are you getting opportunities to share the gospel? Do you have some contact with people who do not know the Lord? We cannot reach a lost and dying world, if we have sequestered ourselves in the salt shaker.

2) The salt needs to be shaken on in a small, measured amount. We need to season our speech with comments that lead the discussion towards God. We need to carefully discern the other person’s interest in the things of the Lord, and not come on full blast with heavy doctrinal issues that will make no sense to an unbeliever. We need to take the opportunities God gives us instead of trying to create our own opportunities.

3) We need to season the world, not be like it. It says in Matthew 5:13 but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. While I think it is good to have contact with the world and be friends with unbelievers, be very careful, lest you lose your saltiness. If you are becoming like your unbelieving friends in your thoughts and actions, you may have lost your saltiness. If you never feel uncomfortable or never speak up against something they want you to do, you may have lost your saltiness. If you join them in their bad language, coarse joking, and partying, you probably have lost your saltiness. And if you have lost your saltiness, you have become an ineffective witness for Christ, no matter how much time you spend with unbelievers.

4) Salt is a necessary nutrient for our bodies. You cannot eliminate all your sodium intake or you would see very negative consequences. Christians are on this earth for a reason–we should provide light and joy and life to those around us. We should bring a presence of unconditional love, boundless joy, and peace to relationships and situations. If we are criticized or disliked, it should be because of our stand for Christ*–not because we are a hypocrite or talking only of ourselves or causing strife or gossiping about a friend, etc.

May we represent Christ in such a way that we are sprinkled out on the world with grace, with love, with joy, with peace. Always in moderation and with wisdom. May we stand for truth, so that we still provide flavor instead of caving in and becoming flavorless and worth only to be trampled upon the ground. What kind of salt are you?

*2 Corinthians 2:14-15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Not all Muslims are Terrorists

Leave a Comment / May 5, 2011 May 5, 2011

So, imagine with me, if you will…It is September, 2000, and you are a man who wants better opportunities for his family. You were born in an Islamic country that provides few opportunities. And, so, with excitement you decide to pack up your family and move to America–the land of opportunity! Things go pretty well for a year…until that fateful day. September 11, 2001. Suddenly, you and your family become the “enemy”. You love your new country and you despise what happened. And, yet, somehow you are labeled and branded.

The same thing happened in this country in World War II with the Germans and the Japanese who lived here. Suddenly, innocent people who had moved here years ago and had proven themselves wonderful neighbors and friends were viewed with suspicion and fear.

The purpose of this blog is not to discuss immigration law and it is not to discuss the Muslim religion. What I want to think about for a moment is the individual Muslim.

The individual who is hopelessly following a man-made religion that their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers followed before them. They are trying to please a god that cannot be pleased and working frantically to get to heaven through their good deeds. But most of these lost souls are not our enemies. They are just people trying to work their way to heaven, just like many other people in your neighborhood.

If we are to go to all ends of the earth to tell the world about Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), then we need to approach all races and people groups with love and the good news of Jesus Christ…not with hate and fear. Imagine how often Satan has used hate and fear among Christians to shut them up through the centuries! But perfect love casts out fear. (I John 4:18).

My fellow believers in Christ, we cannot afford to allow hate and fear to grow in our hearts. If God provides an opportunity for you to share the good news with someone, do so with love and boldness…no matter their religion or race. And let us remember that NOTHING good comes from hate and fear.