Matthew 5:22

Matthew 5:22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

This year my church is focusing specifically on outreach to the unchurched and non-believers. Our minister even warned us at the end of last year that his sermons this year will be targeted at non-believers and not at believers. Members have been asked to think of outsiders and what we can do that would make them feel more comfortable, things like wearing jeans to church instead of fancy outfits. And I’ve tried to be more aware what I can do and say that will be welcoming.

But when I was walking to my car after church a few weeks ago, I saw a bumper sticker on someone else’s car. It said, “One World. One Future,” and it was published by some globalization foundation. My first reaction was scorn. If I saw this bumper sticker out there in the rest of the world, I would think the owner was some kind of left-wing global, environmental socialist (not a good thing in my mind). But this was church. The car was at my church. And my heart was revealed to be wrong.

The bumper sticker was right in one sense. There is one future for our world: destruction and replacement by the new heaven and new earth. But for the people on our one world, there are two possible futures: heaven or hell. And by my scorn, I was saying in my heart that there are some people about whom I don’t care what their future is. God is not pleased.

I’ve had to turn back to the Psalms and start praying some of David’s prayers, especially Psalm 139:23-24. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Where is your heart when it comes to people who aren’t like you? When it comes to people who upset you? Is it where the Lord would like it to be? Turn to Him and ask Him to change your heart, make it more like His, and to lead you in the way everlasting.

May He fill your heart with His love.

Brenda