Be Loving Believers, Not Critical Christians

It seems are if when Christians take a Biblical stand, the world starts throwing darts from every which way possible. Making such statements are considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. The words "intolerance" and "narrow-minded" usually surface in response. I firmly believe that intolerance is a big part of the problem. We as Christians, myself included, are so worried about stepping on toes and would rather keep quiet rather than cause any dissension or confrontation. God warns us in His Word that it is not easy being a follower of Christ. Standing up and speaking out in the name of Christ will surely ruffle feathers and incite hateful comments. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians respond in kind. We get defensive, speaking out of emotion, becoming negative. We have to be careful when we defend in the name of Christ. We should be passionate about our Savior. But we need to make sure we do it in love. Instead of protesting, being hateful or telling them they are wrong, we should love, encourage and lead others in the right direction. Telling someone they are wrong just puts them on the defensive. We are not called to be hateful; there are enough people in the world that can be labeled as such without Christians becoming a part of it. We as Christians are supposed to be different and stand out in a positive way. As far as being narrow-minded, I think we should be when it comes what God's Word says is right and wrong; It speaks for itself. It is often misquoted, misinterpreted or taken out of context (whether intentionally or unintentionally) but the Word of God is true to the core. There is no gray area; there is black and there is white. It may not be a popular or well-received stance but it is not God's intention for us to be popular or well-liked. We are called to be "fishers of men," lead others to Christ. We should be careful to not become argumentative with those who do not agree with us. Defend, discuss but never argue. Arguments can get heated and get off-topic. The focus of the conversation gets lost in the pursuit to be right and convince the other person to think like you. This approach will more than likely push away instead of leading them in the direction of Christ. I applaud those who can state their Christian beliefs in the face of criticism, especially when done in a non-hateful manner. They are not making a popular decision and all sorts of negative labels will be attached to them. May I one day be as intolerant and narrow-minded as that.