Before I start this article sorry for the long delay between this one and the last! I've been having a tough time getting inspired. I wrote the main articles I felt like being out there, and then I started asking myself now what? Well, God showed me what. I kept praying for inspiration, and I just seemed to be in a fog. I would sit here and just stare at my screen frustrated. So I kept praying, and one day Romans kept flooding into my thoughts. So yesterday I sat down opened my bible and start reading, and there was my inspiration!
Romans 2:1-Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in the passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the same things.
Just the other night someone online was judging my husband's bible skills but did not know the doctrine very well himself. So many of us tend to judge others over the internet so quickly even though we may have had the same or similar sins. We are here on this earth to make disciples. How will we bring people to Christ if we judge before we understand? No, I am not saying we should look over sin, not at all, but understanding and guidance goes a lot farther than judgment and persecution. This article is going to be about the ways we handle ourselves online because I feel even those that are close to Jesus can lose the fact that there's another human behind the screen.
As a former non-Christian, I can tell you the number one thing that kept me from Jesus was the snippet of Christians that didn't present themselves well. I can tell you that the love and guidance I got from my church brought me way closer to Jesus then yelling at me that I was going to hell. The other day at my church they were preaching about turning the other cheek. Matthew 5:38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.Give to the one who begs from you, and does not refuse the one who would borrow from you. I feel as though online, through text etc. anything through written communication turning the other cheek is harder. We cannot hear the passion in one's words, hurt, or anger. We remove all emotion sometimes and forget that there is another human being on the other end of this comment thread. We can either speak words of wisdom using love and empathy to bring someone closer or we can use words of hate and anger and see someone else walk away from the truth.
The fact of the internet is that it is a big ball of people that have thousands of opinions, and a lot of the time no one wants to be anything but right. In that quest of being right we sometimes forget our own faults. Matthew 7: 1-5 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." I'm not saying everyone who is judging others is sinning greatly currently, but just because you are living a Christian lifestyle does not mean you can spew your judgement. I also say judge right as well. We want to bring those to Jesus, but we do not want to get caught up in things that will bring us away from him.(Close out of the conversation if you are getting to angry or hurt. We can end up being our worst selves when we have these emotions, and we also don't need someone making us feel absolutely terrible.) I also want us all to remember what Jesus helped us out of, and take that into consideration. What Jesus can help others out of? How can my words help someone come to Jesus?
Can you help someone come to Jesus through the internet? Well, I sure hope so because that is what our goal is on this website other than creating a community where people who love Jesus can come share, and maybe even get help. I do truly think you can though. The internet is a big communicating tool in today's world, and what I hope to accomplish with this article is to get people thinking about their words on the internet. That may be a stranger you're talking to, and it may be an angry stranger spewing profanities and trying to step on Jesus's name, but who knows maybe if you show them that kindness and love? Maybe if you ruffle their feathers because they can't seem to phase you the way they want it will get them thinking? Maybe sometimes we just have to remember I have the love of Jesus, and it feels pretty darn great I'd like to share that amazing love with you. I'm not saying everyone's going to jump on the bandwagon because that truly is unrealistic, but maybe if we keep spreading the love of Jesus we will have more who want to know the love of Jesus. Maybe just maybe we'll have more repentance, baptisms, and more people who just want to know God.