Stand part 2
I'm a pretty peaceful guy. But I DO have a line. And if you cross that line... you get what you get. Which is to say, I'm not out there trying to be against every and any thing. But I AM for something. And that line, that something, is my kid. My family. I'll defend them to the very end. And that doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that even though my son is VERY well behaved--getting in trouble is the thing he tries the hardest in life to avoid--sometimes he doesn't do what he's supposed to do. He's six. He gets a little rambunctious sometimes. Gets caught up in what's going on around him. And when that happens, I set him straight. I help him recalibrate. But my point is, and my heart is, the line from Men In Black, "Don't start nothing... won't be nothing." I don't understand people who thrive on drama. Who stir the pot just so something will bubble over. I don't understand religious folk who want to attack, attack, attack. I thought it was the adversary, or the enemy, who was the accuser. And I thought it was the peacemakers who are known (identified) as the Son(s) of God. So when you make a stand, like I do every single time when it comes to those I care about, make sure you're coming at it from the right place. And that place, as we saw yesterday, that place where we stand... is grace. Because, believe it or not, you can stand for what you believe in and still be graceful at the same time. You can draw that line and still be respectful of other people. I don't have to agree with you in order to love you. And I don't have to make you agree with me in order to believe what I believe. That was one of the best things my pastor ever taught me. And thank God he taught me that right when I was starting my ministry. Because I see people wear themselves slap out trying to change people. And that's not the job. The job, as a parent, is to train our kids up in the way they should go. And the job, as a minister... or really just as a human being... is to love people. To love the hell out of people. To let people be who they are, and love them anyway. And that CAN be love from a distance. Because you know by now that I don't believe we should ever put, or keep, ourselves in a bad situation. Turning the other cheek is one thing. Subjecting yourself to abuse is something else. I believe that love is giving everything you have and everything you are. So once you've given a situation, or a person, all you've got... its either enough, or its not. Sometimes making a stand is walking away. Now, to balance that, I believe that the people who are the hardest to love are the people who need it the most. So I'm not saying you should withhold love. Just the opposite. Love everybody. Love deeply. Make your stand on the Rock that is Jesus--that is love--and you will not be shaken. I was going to quote that today, but the Rant kind of got away from me. Maybe tomorrow. What I'm trying to say is this: people love in different ways, and people receive love in different ways. And sometimes you can reach people, but sometimes you can't. So as long as you're trusting your gut and following your heart, as long as you're standing in grace, and truth, and love... you're right where you need to be. So don't move. Be still. And know that He is God. Know that God is love. Stand FOR things instead of against them. Be FOR people instead of against them. And above all... stand for love in all you do!