What strikes me about this verse is all the petty things we Christians get caught up in, those things that prove to be distractions from the goal He has called us toward. Think about it, we get caught up in everything from political debates to boycotts that prove us more nit picky than gracious. We overlook issues like feeding and clothing the needy to fight over who gets whose way. We become dividers instead of uniters. And in doing so, those who need to see Jesus don't; they see hate, pride and mean spiritedness.
I'm just as guilty. I have publicly expressed my own opinion in such ways that sounded rude, unloving and judgmental. I didn't understand others and it was obvious that I didn't want to. I thought my opinion was a necessary sign of my faith, but it was just a hindrance.
Beloved, It's not wrong for us to get involved in things going on around us. In fact, we need to connect with others, we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus and we need to express good passions in godly ways. Important issues deserve our attention, but not everything should be an issue. Our opinions just aren't as necessary as we like to think.
There are plenty of opportunities for us to get sucked in to petty things. While we're busy being distracted from what really matters, we wind up doing the opposite of what we're called to do.
Therefore, need Jesus' perspective on every matter, and to get it we need to lean in close to Him. We simply cannot be fruitful apart from the vine. This is where we find that loving others becomes more important than finding their flaws, and that is where we have the most impact.
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