"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ"
It's official... America has lost it's mind!
Or at least that's what it feels like. With all of the partisan rhetoric spewing like a broken sewage pipe from every social media stream, it's hard to not get sucked in. In an epoch where everyone is a pundit, it seems that so many are stubbornly content with SCREAMING their opinions whilst willfully ignoring bipartisan, fruitful, and well intended discourse.
And why not? To be honest, this has been the ever increasing status quo. In a country that has completely replaced the value of community with our new fangled individualism, why would anyone want to tackle the pangs of engaging people who are different than them? Why would they want to be challenged, stretched, shaped, molded, etc., etc.? Or even further, why would they want to potentially be proven wrong?
The problems caused by America's individualistic spirit and how it's crept into the Church is probably another blog post for another day, but there is one pitfall that I think every disciple of Jesus ought to avoid during this rather chaotic season: Being sucked into the venomous arena of frivolous and and often hateful political rants. I'm not suggesting that Christians ought to avoid engaging in political discourse. This would be missionally insensitive and irresponsible. But I am advocating for Christians to use more wisdom in how they engage in such conversations.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. have all become cesspools of so many people talking and no one listening. Hyperbole seems the diction of choice and quite frankly, people can get down right nasty. So what should our response be? Whatever that answer becomes for you, I'd implore you to meditate and pray through Romans 13:14.
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify it’s desires. ”
Ask the question: "Am I gratifying a fleshly desire of seeking validation?... Needing to be right?... Putting some someone in their place?... Etc.? Ask of yourself, "Can I genuinely say I have put on the Lord Jesus and am operating out of a spirit to edify and point someone towards the gospel?" Paul is blatant, make no provision for the flesh. Sisters, brothers, do not gratify it's desires. Rather, "If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."