“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).
The Bible tells us to love our enemies; however, my anger and frustration in 2020 clouded my vision. When I read Matthew 5:43-48, it actually sounded something like this, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the righteous. If you love those who love you, you will be rewarded. Greet only your own people. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Let that sink in for a moment. I loved my neighbors and despised people who voted differently than me. I blocked them on social media and detached myself emotionally from certain family members. I built a community that only included people who saw the world like I did and I thought this was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. To be honest, someone should have said, “Let me see your Bible!”
Thankfully, God changed my heart, soul, and mind! (I’ve shared this a lot since my first post in 2020 and I will continue to do so as long as our Father in heaven allows me). Like the old hymn goes, “I was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see.”
So, what does it mean to be lost or blind in this context? Well, when our earthly identity supersedes our kingdom identity we are lost. When we can’t see past our circumstances, ideologies, and opinions, we are blind. The sad part is there are a lot of brothers and sisters in Christ who are walking around like this. Their identity in the world means more than their identity in Christ. This is on full display during this midterm election, and it grieves me.
I want to see unity in the body of Christ. His blood unites us and His word anchors us. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). Therefore, we cannot manipulate the word of God if we want to be complete and equipped to do our work in the kingdom. We can’t create imaginary loopholes to exclude someone from receiving love, grace, and mercy. We have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I know that’s easier said than done, so think about it. Then, go to the Father and pray about it.
#Soul Searching with Our Father#
