jordanabina
The question is, what is of more value, being righteous or being right? This was the thought on a long train ride with a lot of down time. Grenoble to Paris in particular has about 3 hours of it. The choice becomes how to fill the time, how do I make use of the space between cities? Should I read? Should I write? Maybe, but Instagram sure looks good.
I know there is a system to how Instagram pulls up certain videos and links but I really don’t know all the specifics. Hopefully it’s not Big Brother listening to everything I say and Orwell didn’t predict the future in his book 1984. But whatever the system is, it works. I found myself deep into a stream of videos of people falling, playing pranks and doing amazing physical feats. The internet is a really incredible look at the human. Our behavior, what we like, what we hate, and who we are is really out there to see.
Eventually the feed turned to a stream of people expressing their political views. The world of political opinion has erupted over society, and it’s ugly. To be honest, I’ve never been interested in politics; even when I was young I had a sense that these were people I couldn’t trust. Whether or not that is true I have no idea, but it’s what my inner self seems to feel.
What’s going on?
Videos of people interrupting debates to protest, pictures of people burning flags, and images of presidents depicted as animals. All of it really terrible. What happened to us? It seems like we have degenerated back into something we won’t be proud of in the future. It’s no longer about having a voice, it’s about having the loudest voice, regardless of what we may be saying. What happened to listening?
From my short time online, before I eventually put it down to save myself the misery, what I could tell was that everyone thinks they are right. Republicans think they’re right. Democrats think they’re right. White people, people of color. Homosexuals, heterosexuals. Flat earthers, people who think the earth is round (round earthers?). Fox news, CNN. Everyone seems to be right, and at the same time, everyone seems to be wrong. How far will this go? Where are we willing we take it?
How far will you and I allow this to grow in our hearts, in our own lives?
What about the people who say they are Christians? A person like me, who claims to have a relationship with God, and follow the life of Jesus, what does a person like that do in a society like this? A few questions I think I must answer for myself come to mind.
Will I be a person who spreads the mud or cleans it?
I have a choice. Wil l spread the mongering happening around me, or will it stop with me? What will I continue to allow to enter my mind and my computer screen? My phone? What I watch and listen to matter. I believe we should be informed, and have information on the world around us, absolutely. But not at the risk of darkening our souls. We don’t honestly believe people will see Christ in us while we thrash about our political views and judgements to people we don’t know do we?
Listen to this verse in Hebrews 12:14.
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord…”
The truth is no one will see Him until we show them a life that is holy and looks like Him. I fall into this temptation so often. The world is forcing us to choose sides, to take a tribe, and therefore condone everything that a group stands for. I do not. I am no republican and I am no democrat. I am a broken person, with more weaknesses than strengths, wrestling through this life and trying my best to figure out living in this world. But one thing I know is the love of Christ and the grace He has shown me. He is my tribe, He is my captain, it’s from Him I take my cues.
I will not spread hate and shame any more than it already has been. Remember that there are people on the other side of almost everything we are arguing about. Real people. There are people who may be around us that have been dramatically impacted by an issue that you may feel strongly about, they matter. They especially matter to Jesus. Jesus, the one who lifts the head of the adulteress, the one who call murderers into ministry, and the one who has seen my sin and has forgiven me.
If there is noise out there, I want to only add the right notes to it. I want to be a vessel of peace, a vessel of love, a vessel of understanding. I want the church to not take the bait of society, instead to show society what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus in the midst of pressure. Lord help me.
Will I strive to be righteous before being right?
I am convinced that in my own life, Ii I were to put as much effort into being righteous as I do being right, my life would have a greater platform. Being right is boring, being righteous is dangerous. Righteousness is a harder kingdom to conquer, but the treasury can hold much more reward. Who cares about bring right? Seriously, I don’t care. At this point, I would rather pursue righteousness and be wrong than be right in the eyes of men but have a soul covered in sludge.
Psalm 5:8
“O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.”
One of the best parts about the pursuit of being righteousness before being right are that it keeps your eyes off of the people around you and how unrighteous or righteous they are, because there is enough work in our own life. At least that’s how it is for me. How can I judge so easily the mistakes of others when I haven’t really given to Jesus the areas in my life in which I don’t measure up? The crazy part about our culture is this, we can’t tell who is right and wrong anymore. How can we? It’s impossible, everything is twisted today.
I think people who pursues righteousness has a scent, an aroma different than others around us. They may not be famous, but they’re out there. You know when you’ve spent time with someone who isn’t obsessed with their own opinion, but seeks to understand. They bring encouragement, they listen to people different than them, they treat everyone with dignity and respect, even their enemies.
This person doesn’t say horrible things about leaders they disagree with. They don’t join in with mob mentality. It’s important that they don’t allow the way of the world to dictate the way of their hearts. Lord help me become a person like that. Christ literally said LOVE your enemies, and that wasn’t some translation error.
Jesus went to the cross for His enemies.
Jesus went to the cross for those He disagreed with.
Jesus went to the cross for the worst of the worst, for me.
Let us not forget that the world is looking for Jesus, even if they haven’t realized it yet. We live in a spiritual world, just not a spiritually grounded one. How we model Christ makes all the difference.
Matthew 6:33-34
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Right now, today, pursue righteousness. Resist the urge to fight to be right, instead pursue Jesus and the righteousness He offers through a journey with Him. Our children are watching, the next generation will never stand for this. Unless we make Christianity a verb and not a noun, it will be on the shelf of antiques that our grandchildren refer to when they think of us.
Lord, change me. Extract me from the mud I’ve allowed myself to swim in. Jesus bring me into a place of peace and rest. Lord, teach me what it is to walk like you in a world that’s burning around me. I don’t have answers, but I put my faith in you. Lord I want to be someone who you can send enemies to, because you know they will receive love. Help me Jesus.
Our world is changing, we have to be able to change and grow with it. Here’s a great video of a discussion about ministering in a secular age. Help me to pursue being righteous instead of just being right.
