Mark 6:34 (New King James Version)
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
I think a lot of times those of us who are Christians, myself included forget what Jesus taught. We are trying to reach people from where we are but that isn’t what Jesus did. He went to their level to help them see things.
Think about it, what if someone told you before you were saved everything you should do instead of just talking about salvation, would you have been saved? Or what if you were a baby Christian and you had other Christians looking down on you because you haven’t grown to where they are YET?
Maybe that is exactly what happened to you so you pushed away from God and the church. Remember we are all human so if that happened to you then I want to apologize for the people who treated you that way. I am not saying here that you should not change and that this gives you an excuse but we all have to remember that we all grow at different levels and we have no idea where God is working on the other person.
Example: Many years ago I was in a business that taught until you turn this business over to God, you will never grow to the level you want. I heard several tapes that said this and they all promoted that if somehow you make it to the high levels you would get the stage just like them to tell your story and besides just maybe you would give others hope but they have yet to see anyone do it.
I went to my friend that got me involved and told him that I was going to be the first person to build that business without God. Now when I said that ask yourself, what would you have said back to me? I thank God to this day he didn’t say what 90% of the people would have said.
He looked me straight in the eyes and said if you truly believe that then go for it! That’s right he encouraged me. He didn’t know God was trying to work on me but he did know that attitude would change overtime as I tried to do something that dealt with people. When you are dealing with people you are almost certain you are going to find God.
Well needless to say it is almost 20 years later and my life has been so changed and that was a part of it. I know deep down if he would have answered me in any other way I would have pushed God away further than I was. Did I not believe in God? I did believe there was a God but I thought he hated me back then. I was at a low point in my life at that time.
Now what is my point here? It is when you are dealing with people whether they aren’t Christians or baby Christians, use some compassion because you were once there too. They don’t know what they don’t know and it is up to us to influence them to how we are but we can’t do that by slamming the Bible at them and telling them where they are going. It’s like telling a teen that their decisions are going to haunt them later. They just don’t understand YET!
So as you move forward, when talking to people, remember to reach down to their level so you can help bring them to your level in a way that inspires them to want to move up.
I pray that if you are reading this you take this small discipline into your daily life and use it to inspire people to want to pursue God rather than fear them into bondage.
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton