Y’all, I’ve had this post in my head for a while now. There were so many ways that I considered going with this post. It started off as me jumping on my soapbox and thinking rant-y thoughts. Then it evolved into something a little more reflective. I’m still not sure where I’m going with this. We’ll see how it goes.
Okay, deep breaths. I will just come out and say it. I’ve been struggling with all of the negativity I have noticed lately. It’s on Twitter. It’s on Facebook. It’s in real life. It all started somewhere around the time of the great Chick-Fil-A debate of summer 2012. Maybe it’s because this is an election year, but people seem to be more outspoken then ever before. This is both a blessing and a curse. As you can probably gather from my hesitancy to post this, I’m here to talk about the curse side of things.
First of all, I want to say LOUD AND CLEAR that I am all for standing up for what you believe in. This is something as Christians that we should do more of. What has bothered me lately is the ATTITUDE behind some of the debates on social media I’ve witnessed. There is a big difference between speaking the truth in love and being snarky, rude, and just plain hateful. We all sin and fall short. It almost seems like in some instances people are arguing for the sake of arguing and that has been what has bothered me. Yes, I want to stand up for my faith and share it with others. At the same time, I want to live in a way that when debates arise, people won’t be surprised at my stand. They will already know where I’m coming from.
Let’s don’t forget love. Let’s put concern for other souls as our main motivation in taking a stand. Let’s keep sharing our faith and letting our light shine. A little bit of love goes a long way.
Personal sidebar: I let this negativity get to me. It discouraged me. Then, I started making an effort to turn it around. It has made me examine myself and make some changes. I’m trying to be a little more positive with every passing day. I’m trying to think more about reaching the lost. Please pray with and for me.
You have set yourself up for the negativity by “preaching”. Not everyone sees everything as a bible verse or believes that what the bible says is the only way. The CFA thing was about freedom of speech on both sides. Why was it taken otherwise?
Most of us know exactly where you stand and that’s fine but it does not mean that we have to stand on the same soapbox. Never arguing religion is a good rule. How would you feel if someone threw Koran verses at you when you disagreed with some social issue? Not very good, right? You can’t know other’s belief system on Twitter or Facebook. It isn’t fair to preach your belief and not take into account that people have differing beliefs.
Practicing love means that you do not dispute other people’s belief system or ideology but embrace it as their right. We are all different, we all have to decide for ourselves what we feel is right. When other’s opinions or beliefs hurt you it’s because you have opened yourself up for criticism by expecting everyone to believe the same way you do. Freedom of speech is a right for ALL of us.
Thank you for your comment. First of all, I guess I didn’t make it clear in my post that I was directing this at Christians who have been acting hateful towards others. It was not intended to open a discussion on specific issues. I even said I didn’t want to get into that at this time. The negativity I referred to was not directed at people who disagree with me.
I realize that not everyone agrees with me. However, I disagree that I’m not allowed to state what I believe in. Whether it be on my own personal blog or my Twitter account or private Facebook account, I have made a pledge to myself to be real. This is who I am.
Loving others means wanting what is best for them and being concerned for their souls. I want everyone to come to know God and His Word. I believe as a Christian I am commanded to teach His Word to others (see Matthew 28). I have the right to do so, just as you have the right to disagree with everything I’m saying.