Kill Em with Kindness

I felt a strange obligation to write an end of year blog post before 2017, so here it goes.

In the middle of my shower Tuesday afternoon, I found myself reflecting on several of the events which occurred throughout the year. Despite all the complaints many have shared concerning 2016, I am overall grateful for the current state of my life.

However, as I began to reminisce on all the memories, I couldn’t help but notice, that regardless of the events which occurred this year, I was always almost too gentle in regards to my faith with Christ.

Almost feeling the need to apologize for my beliefs and in the way that I viewed things. In the end, this only hindered me from becoming the best version of whom Christ wanted me to be.

Long story short, instead of keeping these thoughts to myself, I decided to compile some lessons I’ve learned this year, into a blog-series entitled “Dear Apologetic Christian”

Basic , I know right? But hey it has a nice ring to it *zinger*

So without further ado…I present to you the first lesson *ehem*

Dear Apologetic Christian

Kill em with Kindness.

Suffocate people with indescribable love in genuine gladness of heart.

Here are some popular quotes I found online concerning our attitude towards people:

“There comes a time when you have to stop crossing oceans for people who wouldn’t jump puddles for you”

“No matter how good your heart is, eventually you have to start treating people the way they treat you”

“You can’t always be nice, that’s how people take advantage of you”

Ok, now picture for a moment if Jesus Christ held onto any of the opinions mentioned above.

What if he chose not to die on the cross because Apostle Peter denied him three times (Luke 22:54-62) before he was crucified?

If He chose to give us what we deserved, (i.e. not dying on the cross), our faith has no meaning, and our lives have no purpose (1 Corinthians 15:14-19).

Christ died, knowing very well that many people will still hate him and choose sin over the freedom that comes through salvation.

My point is this.

As Christians, what right do we have holding grudges, paying back evil for evil and being selective towards the people who “deserve” our love?

We’ve been taught that it’s ok to think negatively of those who hurt us, tip waiter’s based on their performance and to give people a taste of their own medicine, because they “deserve it”.

FAM!

If God was playing that game with us, we would literally be burning in Hell right about now because what we deserve is God’s wrath, not his love.

*mention the word “Hell” in a blog post……CHECK*

..….But trust me I get it, this is easier said than done.

We’re not robots. We have emotions.

People are going to hurt you. A lot.

And you’re going to be upset about it.

Many people will not acknowledge the love you show them, and not everyone is going to like you.

But here’s another subtle reminder.

We stab God in the back every time we sin…but He still chooses us.

If our motivation to love one another is based on people’s worth  in our lives or our conceitedness to show the world how much we care, our love is selfish and henceforth, not love at all.

 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Matthew 5:46

The great thing about Christianity is that our love is only based on the fact that Christ first loved us (1 John 4:19). And because this is an unchanging fact, our motivation to love one another remains consistent regardless of person and/or situation.

Remember the 3 quotes mentioned earlier? Well based on this lesson I decided to modify it in a way that seems more fitting.

“Never stop crossing oceans for people, especially for people who wouldn’t jump puddles for you”

“No matter how bad people may be, treat them in the same way God treats you, in love”

“Always be kind, even if people may take you for granted”

Be unapologetic in displaying love and forgive quickly without expecting anything in return.

Soli Deo Gloria