Less about what we’re against, more about Who we’re for …

Complaining seems to be a very common pasttime, even among Christians. So much that many Christian leaders have been speaking out saying we should be talking about what we’re for instead of spending so much time griping about what we’re against.

That’s decent advice, but it doesn’t always work out well. Too many of us use what we’re for to create further divisions among us, much like the man who tells the story of crossing a bridge one day when he saw another man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So he ran over to the man and said, “Stop, don’t jump off!”

“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked.

“Well, there’s so much to live for.”

“Like what?”

“Well, are you religious?”

The man answered yes.

“Me, too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?”

“Christian!”

“Me, too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?”

“Baptist!”

“Wow! Me, too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?”

“Baptist Church of God!”

“Me, too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?”

“Reformed Baptist Church of God!”

“Me, too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?”

“Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!”

The man responded angrily, “Die, heretic!” and pushed him off the bridge.

Instead of spending so much time complaining about what we’re against, or even talking about positions we’re for, perhaps we should spend more of our time talking about Who we’re for. But here’s a warning: even talking about being for Jesus will cause division!

Jesus, the ultimate Peace Maker and our source of peace with God, also brings about division. To be at peace with God by being for Christ will inevitably cause division in our lives with others …

“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against — or two in favor and three against. ‘Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law,'” Luke 12:49-53.

Spending our time complaining about our differences within the body of Christ makes us ineffective in sharing Christ with the world. When we spend more time talking about how together we are for Christ, we become more united in our message to a lost and broken world. That will help us endure the division we will face when we share with those who don’t know Christ that we are for the Lord. When the world rejects us for being for Jesus, we need to have one another, as brothers and sisters in in the family of God, to turn to instead of even more division.

Is the content of what comes out of your mouth more about being for Jesus Christ, or is it more often complaining about what you’re against?

Scotty