Sunday, September 5, 2021

The "Christian Left"




I first heard the term “Christian Left” on the John Cooper podcast. I had never heard that coined phrase before, but as soon as I heard it… it resonated.


Loudly.


So much is going on in the world right now. I think we’d all agree with that. But so much is also going on in our own circles. In our own faith and churches.


We, as Christians, have compromised who we are and what we believe.


We pick and choose God’s Word as if it’s a menu. We like this, don’t like that, want to alter this verse, etc. etc.


In Mark 3:25 God says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

I always took this verse literally. Especially as it applies to marriage and divorce.


But God brought this verse to my mind as soon as I heard John term the words “Christian Left”. 


It all made sense.


We, as believers, are God’s Church. Together, we can do so much - as a house of believers. But divided? Divided, we cannot stand.


Divided, we cannot win the war on culture.


Divided, we will be persecuted heavier, than if we’d stood up together, as strong warriors.


Divided, we will battle each other.


Divided, we will look like hypocrites (and be called so, as well).


Divided, we will fall.


All because we have compromised who we are and what we believe.


And as believers, we have become divided. Divided into the “left” and the “right”.


Listen, I get it. I GET IT. It’s hard to be the only one in the room who stands for something. It’s hard to be made fun of. It’s hard to live in fear as you stand counter-cultural.


But God never promised us easy. He only promised us victory in eternal life.


And as blatant as that truth is, I understand that hard AND easy will come into my life as a result of walking faithfully in His Word. Not all the time. Not every day.


I will have hard. But at times, I will also have easy. Just because He loves me. Just because He wants to bless me. Just because I was faithful in prayer and obedient in actions.


And I can praise, rejoice, and be so thankful when those moments come. But I have to be prepared that hard, WILL come. 


We are a family. We are God’s family. His beloved sons and daughters.


He loves us. Dearly.


We are damaging each other, hindering each other, and causing division…. Simply because of our concern with our image, our selfishness (if we’re honest), and our immersing ourselves in culture, instead of Godly things. 


Instead of GOD, Himself.


“Christian Left.”


We say we believe, but we straddle the line. Never truly committing to one OR the other. Going where the wind blows to be acceptable.

Accepting what we shouldn’t, and compromising our moral compass.

We are weakened, because we do not stand strong TOGETHER. We are weakened, because we falter. 


The Christian “left.”


It’s time to dig deep inside and find out just where we stand, and just what it is we stand for.