Sometimes we all face unkind words, vicious attacks, verbal assaults, and mockery....sometimes from the people we would think would be more careful with our hearts.
Sometimes, as hard as it is to fathom, it comes from a place of passion and even caring. Just not always well-delivered.
Sometimes I want to make my point, I want to share what I believe is truth. I don't want anyone to be sick. I don't want anyone to die early when they don't have to. I don't want anyone to suffer the pain of wrong choices. I don't want anyone to be deceived. I don't want our country to be a swamp. But at the end of the day, do I want to die on the hill of being right? No.
This is the hill I want to die on: What really matters is intimacy with our Creator and eternity. It's important to tell the truth and to defy lies, but even within the camp we can't seem to agree on what is right. But we can link arms in our efforts to bring people safe and sound into the kingdom. It is the goodness of God, not winning disagreements, that leads to repentance, and repentance ushers in salvation, and salvation is forever with God in eternity.
It's definitely not a popularity contest.
It's a persistent love contest. It's a dying to self contest.
Many people will enter heaven bruised, tattered, and beat up. Many people will go there unenlightened, and with very little maturity or personal victory over the flesh.
Many will go there prematurely. Even more won't go there at all. The most important thing is that as many as will choose Jesus will close their eyes here and open them there, that their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.