The Secret of Christianity

The most effective way to lead others is by example, and when people experience authentic love, they instinctively know that God is behind it.

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I am beginning to think of the twenty-first century like a natural disaster. It hit us like a hurricane, bringing with it waves of entitlement, negativity, criticism, and social ailments. That doesn’t even begin to touch the vitriol that has been spewed from both sides of the political arena, reducing once strong friendships and alliances to a heap of rubble. Sadly, opinions can divide even the most unified relationship; the problem is that we all have them—opinions, that is. We could argue for eons about every issue under the sun, but today, let’s agree on something: the world desperately needs to know the love of a heavenly Father who adores them.

The world seeks truth; it is desperate for redemption…a second chance…a hundredth chance. People are constantly clamoring to find peace as if they’re on a scavenger hunt while we Christians sit quietly with every spiritual item on the list checked off and tucked neatly into our souls. We believe that the Bible is the God-breathed authority on freedom and truth, seeing life through the lens of biblical principles. We refer to this as a Christian worldview. What difference does that make in the here and now? Simply speaking, it is the difference between truth and lies, captivity and freedom, and ultimately, life and death.

For the Christian who has walked with Christ for many years, the perspective of the world through God’s eyes is what we continually seek to understand. Without it, we would have no frame of reference for the gift of life and the circumstances that surround it. We go about our business, trust the Bible to help us make decisions, and simply give this thing called life our best shot—with God’s help, of course. How, then, do we share with our non-believing (or alternately believing) friends that they should believe our worldview over any other? The answer is a neat little word called LOVE! The key is whether we actually walk it out.

This four-letter word, unrestrained and unhinged, has the ability to completely change a life. Still, the word ‘love’ is so overused that people don’t really know its meaning anymore. It is a choice, not a fleeting emotion that we ascribe to a relationship we will eventually dispose of. Jesus went to the cross a mutilated, humiliated, innocent man who took love to the ultimate extreme. If we’re going to love as He did, it’s going to mean getting down and dirty in the trenches with those who need Him.

That’s why our worldview matters: because God tells us He created every single soul with worth. I bet you won’t hear society say that. Society, it seems, talks out of both sides of its proverbial mouth. Those who have been bombarded with Jesus’s love through another person will tell you without hesitation that there could be no other explanation for being treated with such dignity than God. Human nature alone is light years away from being that perfect.

We live in an age where knowledge is power, and power is at our fingertips. Google can deliver absolute truth within seconds. People have to see to believe, or at least they think they do. In some ways, that’s not a bad thing. God gave us brains, and He expects us to use them. It is an incredible thing for someone to genuinely search for the truth of God and dig so deeply into the facts that they run smack into the evidence of Him. So, although our Christian perspective requires faith, don’t be afraid to allow someone to investigate in his or her own way before he or she acquires any faith at all. God will meet others exactly when and where they need it.

We should also have at least some knowledge of what others may believe. Being able to relate to folks from different backgrounds and customs without beating our beliefs into them is critical. Educate yourself then let the Holy Spirit guide the conversation. While we are inundated with society’s endless interpretations of it, God’s Word stands resolute and unchanging. When we view the world through the eyes of Christianity, we see value in human life. We learn to show grace and offer forgiveness. We are challenged with loving our enemies, carrying our cross for Jesus, and being God’s hands and feet. We don’t just do things because it makes us feel good; we do them because we love the Father and desire to serve Him.

My final thought is this: lay down your pride and be fearless in showing love. It is elementary but not easy; great sacrifice is guaranteed to be rewarded with incomparable blessings, not all of them material. The most effective way to lead others is by example, and when people experience authentic love, they instinctively know that God is behind it. The Christian worldview will continue to be just that—another worldview—until we give others a reason to trust the One whose opinion of their worth will never change.

 

 

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The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Rebecca considers it an honor to be a contributing writer for Kingdom Winds. She is passionate about sharing how God has shaped her perspective on life, love, and redemption. God has been faithful beyond anything she ever truly expected. It is her prayer that everyday folks will find faith-building, hope-giving morsels of truth tucked inside her pieces. Life is hard, and she believes that being real is the first step in understanding just what it is we need to thrive. Rebecca is a certifiably crazy animal lover and shares her home with husband Scott and six cats and dogs. She has two grown sons and a spirited granddaughter who always gives her permission to be a big kid. A Greenville native, Rebecca serves her community as a pediatric dental hygienist and is a kickboxing enthusiast in her free time. While she sincerely wishes that Harry Potter and Hogwarts were real, she is content to read the books and watch the movies as many times as humanly possible. Indulging her love of storytelling with all things fantasy and fun is what keeps her mind young and gives her the occasional escape from reality. Children, after all, have the right idea...love big and have fun.