Is it just me?  Or is there really a widening gap between what Christians should do and what they do?  When I recently used the word “should”,  I said as Christian’s we should … , I received the following response.  “Should? Ha Ha Ha, Like people always  do as they should.”

Why don’t Christians do as they should?  Why is this presented as such a ridiculous proposal that we as Christians live according to the code that is intended to identify who we are?  Am I the only one who is troubled when I frequently hear the statement, “Christians sin”?  Or when I hear Christians telling non-believers that they sin too, as if this will help draw people into accepting our way of life?  Am I out of step with reality, or is the American Church becoming irrelevant?  I see a widening gap between how Christians live and how they should live.  I think we are way past due for a revival in the Church.

I remember a few years ago when I was busy and it was getting late.  I wandered down stairs to find out that my daughter had not gone to bed yet.  I said, “It is late you should go to bed”, and then I went back to my task at hand.  Sometime later I went back down stairs to find that she had not gone to bed.   “I told you to go to bed, why are you not there?”  She replied, “You didn’t tell me to go to bed, you just said that I should go to bed”.  I was taken back.  “Go to bed”, I said.

I recognize that in time language changes, but principles remain the same.  To many people “should” has come to mean that action is not imperative, but optional.  As time goes on it seems like people’s response to doing the things that they should do is increasingly choosing the option to not do the things that we should.  This is having a devastating effect on how Christians behave.  It is affecting how Christians respond to the commands of God, they know what they should do, but they don’t.

The dictionary definition of the word “should”, is past of “shall”.  As Christians if we should do something, then it is something that we ought to do, and if you ought to do it, then DO IT.  How can we define ourselves as believers if we don’t respond in a positive way to the Word of the Lord?  There needs to be an adjustment in our thinking, if there is something that we should be doing, then let us be doing it.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” (Ps 37:3 AV)

Bob Gunderson

Prejudice can and often does affect our opinions.  The problem is that sometimes we develop our convictions based upon opinions instead of founding our conviction on truth.  Now we would like to think that OUR opinions are based on truth, but a close examination my prove differently.  It is easy to allow our desires, feelings, experiences, and the opinions of others, to affect OUR opinions.  In other words OUR opinions and other people’s opinions can be all over the board.  They may or may not reflect truth and reality.  If we are not careful this can result in prejudices or biases that can damage or harm others.  Worse yet these prejudices can bring reproach on us, the Church and ultimately on Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prejudice or pre-judging can cause harm to people.  It can also can either cause us to have experiences that are harmful or miss experiences that would be good for us.  In Dr. Suess’s charming story, “Green Eggs and Ham”, Sam I am breaks through an obvious prejudice through sheer perseverance.  While this story may be a great tool to reveal the oftentimes silly roots of our prejudices, it does not give us the tools to rightly judge what is good and right.  Dr. Suess (Theodor Seuss Geisel) certainly was gifted with the ability to illustrate ideas in a charming and entertaining way.  “Horton Hears a Who” is a good example of a story that powerfully promotes the value of a person.  It is summed up with the statement; “A person is a person, no matter how small.”  Yet when this statement was used by the pro-life movement Geisel vehemently protested, revealing one of his own prejudices.  If you ever wondered how people could be so supportive of killing innocent unborn children, it is because of their prejudices or pre-judgments.

So how can we as Christians avoid prejudices that can be so damaging to people and our cause?  The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy.  Know the truth.  The retort from those who rationalize is, “What is truth?”  The source of truth is God’s Word.  The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord.  If we begin with what God has said, accept it as truth, then our thoughts, feelings, and experiences can be revealed in proper perspective for us to adequately understand what is good, righteous, and true.  A lot of times our prejudices are merely a symptom of our failure to seek for the truth in a matter.  As the writer of the Gospel of Luke begins he forwards with this statement:

“inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” (Lu 1:1-4 NAS95)

Luke was not just telling us a story, but presenting us with the truth in its purity.  We would be wise to do likewise.  If we base our opinions on established truth we will be able to develop convictions that are worth dying for.  What I am talking about goes way deeper than our mere intellect.  Jesus taught us to ask and we would receive, seek and we would find, knock and it would be opened up to us.  He also promised us the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.

“”but when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come. “he will glorify me, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you.” (Joh 16:13-14 NAS95)

By avoiding prejudices we establish convictions based on truth.  Truth is defendable, both by the Word of God and the test of time.  Wisdom will vindicate her children.  We will still be accused of being prejudiced, but only by those unwilling to research the truth.

Question opinions, try the spirits, put not your trust in your own abilities or logic, trust God.

“but examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;” (1Th 5:21 NAS95)

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1Th 5:21 AV)

Bob Gunderson