Live and Let Live part 1
I think about the phrase "Live and let live" a lot. Its kind of a motto of mine. Along with "Go big or go home." But that second one is not what this Rant series is about. Its about my ministry philosophy. Which is, quite frankly, to let people believe what they want to believe. I've never been interested in convincing people that what I believe is "right" and what they believe is "wrong." Look at Romans 14:22 in the Message Bible, "Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent." Two parts there, and both are important. First of all, not imposing it on others. Not expecting people to think like you do, believe like you do, or act like you do. Letting people be who they are. And loving them just the way they are. I'm planning on diving into that in the next few days. But the second part is so important. Getting your behavior and your belief to line up. Because so many times it seems like we struggle within. Romans 7:15 speaks of this struggle, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." In the Message Bible it reads, "What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise." Doing what we don't want to do, and not doing what we do want to do. The two hardest things in life, in my opinion. This is a problem because, according to James 1:8, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." When you're at war with yourself you're not at peace. You can't be. And blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called (or identified) as the Son(s) of God. Making peace--making love, not war--is what people will see and then be able to say, "He's a good guy." Or, "She's a good person." Which, to me, is a much better compliment than someone saying, "Yeah, he's a Christian." Because, unfortunately, Christians have kind of gotten a bad name. Hypocrites. Judgmental. Mean. That's not something I want to be labeled as. Honest. Kind. Trustworthy. That would be better. But if our actions don't line up with our beliefs we'll be unstable. We won't be able to show people who God is, by showing them love. And here's the straight up and down of it: Your actions DO flow from your beliefs. What's inside--what you believe is inside--is what comes out. Always. So its not behavior modification that we need. Its making sure we really believe what we think we believe. Its about cultivating our own relationship with God. Strengthening ourselves in the inner man through the Holy Spirit. Letting God love is, is what it comes down to. Because when you believe that you are loved... you can love. That's when your behavior and your beliefs are coherent. That's when everything lines up in Divine Order. And, as they say, charity starts at home. You can't give what you don't have. You can only give what you do have. "Let live" is important. But the first part of that phrase is "live." We have to start living right. And that comes from believing right. To live is to love and to love is to live. Knowing and believing we are loved, and loving each other with that love!