Friday... But what about this other method? Maybe it would work better.

There is so much in this world that causes such disagreement. I streamed this week a General Assembly of a worldwide church and there was so much disagreement. It happens at work, in our schools, in our churches, in our homes and it happened back when Paul was writing his letters in the New Testament of the Bible. I mean the Jews were trying to kill him. But he gave some very good advice in his letter to the Romans. It is a method that we even in the church don't use very often.

In Romans 2:4 (NLT) he writes, "Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?"

Now he is a definitely powerful God. He could use so many methods to turn people from their sins and we see some of those methods in the OT but here he talks about being kind. What if the Christian Democrats, the Christian Republicans used this method? What if we as parents used this method? What if we who are Christians in the church used kindness? What if we who are Christians who see so many problems, so much sin in our world, who see and believe that Christ is the answer, what if would show and live out his kindness, his tolerance and his patience that he uses with us? Oh we're good at the eye for an eye, at the pointing our fingers and condemning and calling out the sins and the sinners of our world but "don't you see how wonderfully, kind, tolerant, and patient the God that we serve is? Does this mean nothing to you?"

The Message says, "God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical-life change." He has within himself the ability to bring great judgement on us and someday he will but for now let's revel in the fact that "God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical-life change." And for many of us, being kind and tolerant and patient is a radical-life change.

Yes, someday God will bring judgment into the world. That is his job, not ours. But for today his love and mercy and grace and tolerance and kindness is at work in and through our lives.

Just a thought for today from God's Word. Why not give it a try and see what a difference it would make? Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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