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Written by Gabrielle Guthrie for “See, there’s this thing called biology…~insanitybytes” @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/
Original post found @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/2023/12/18/you-cant-be-mean/
You Can’t Be Mean…..
18MondayDec 2023
Posted by insanitybytes22 in Uncategorized
Tags blogging, culture, faith, humor, insanitybytes22, life, nope
You can’t be a Christian and be mean. It’s true! This is a fact. In John 13:35 the Bible says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It is incongruent to have received grace and to then fail to extend it to others. The fruit of the spirit are, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
This problem is really bad on the internet or more accurately, this truth is revealed more clearly on the internet. People have always been “people,” they are just less inclined to act poorly in person. They don’t want to deal with the conflict, the fallout. The truth is some Christians can be a really mean spirited, argumentative, lacking hospitality, and showing little indication of even knowing what spiritual fruit is.
I wish to infuse lots of grace into this conversation. Sometimes people just get grumpy. Sometimes we have health problems or we are in pain. Sometimes our words just come out all wrong. Sometimes emotions get the best of us. And sometimes you just go forth and lop a man’s ear off. What can I say, life is hard sometimes. As a general rule however, you simply cannot be a Christian and be mean to others at the same time. You are not serving the Lord when that happens, you are serving yourself.
That rule about not being mean includes when one is trying to win arguments. “The other person is wrong” is not an excuse to be mean. The other person is, “not a Christian or not from my denomination so it doesn’t count,” is not an excuse. I’m sorry, but there simply are no excuses for being mean.
Sometimes guys will feel like this message is just “mushy Christianity” or “feminizing faith” or “tone policing” or something. It is not. There are instructions in the Bible in many places for how we are supposed to relate to one another. Many of those examples are actual men in the Bible walking out their faith. We also have the real life example of Jesus to follow which is a tall order, a high standard, but He is here for us to learn from, to head towards, to grow into.
Jesus was not out fighting people, sorry. The Jews were frustrated about that too. They wanted a warrior king, a champion here on Earth who would free them from the Romans.
Some people try to pretend they don’t know what “mean” really means because, after all, they are just speaking the truth in love. So to clarify, to “be mean” is to be contemptuous, penurious, vexatious, and stingy. Interestingly, “mean” has also often meant to carry shame, to be ashamed.
This is where we get our saying “shameful behavior.” It does not mean one should be ashamed of how they are acting it actually means, one is acting poorly because one is full of shame. To be feeling “sore mean” meant to be full of regret and shame. When one is “acting poorly due to shame,” it means one needs to repent and avail oneself of the Lord’s mercy and grace.
So the simplest definition I can think of for a Christian is, “one who is availing themselves of the Lord’s mercy and grace.” Being a Christian is actually not about creeds and confessions, politics, power, denominations, “winning,” or worldviews.
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P.S. (from bruce) When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !! If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
You say you are a “born again” believer… BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ?? If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/
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