Now Is The Time To Reach Out

Man…when I look at Christians today I just shake my head sometimes. We have so many things wrong. Yep…I said it…because I believe it to be true. And there is one in particular that I feel truly needs to be discussed.

Why is that we do not hang out with the lost people in this world? Are we afraid that they may rub off on us to some degree? How could we possibly think that their sins could attach themselves to us like cooties?

If we are truly followers of Christ then something has to change and change quickly or this world will go straight to an eternity outside the presence of God…hell.

Have we, as believers, forgotten the scriptures? Have we forgotten that Christ, himself, hung out with people that were despised at the time?

Yet, we will not spend 30 minutes with a neighbor down the street, who by most accounts is a great person…but utterly lost. That person does not drink, smoke, do drugs, treat their spouse poorly but might say a few curse words here and there and because of that, we are like Oh No, I can’t hang out with someone who curses. It could hurt my virgin ears. REALLY?

I’ve seen some of MY friends go to the other side of the mall just to avoid certain people who were dressed funny. We judge people by their clothing??

Big deal if you are seen with someone everyone in your town thinks is a drunk! You should not care what they think about you at all. What you should be concerned with is this…are they going to hell or heaven when they die.

Who cares if the whole town knows that your neighbor is cheating on their spouse? That should not keep you, dear brother or sister, from reaching out to that neighbor in love. You should build that relationship to the point where you can talk about God without falter and point them to Christ.

What about the porn addict at work, the guy who is always popping pills, that gal at work who is wearing clothes that leave very little to the imagination, the homeless person who just fell upon hard times, the person with psoriasis so bad that they look like a leper or the person in the pew with you on Sunday who probably thinks that the pastor is preaching only to them every Sunday? Do not these people need Christ? Do they not need friends that will point them to the way, the truth and the life?

Granted they may hear about Christ, but will they see Him? How will they see the life changing effect that only a relationship with Christ can produce, unless we, as a body of believers, get off our rears and actually reach out to them? The lost, when they die will spend eternity without God. It is time to wake up and do our part church.

Christ hung out with these type folks. He hung out with the lepers, the crazies, the sex addict, the drunkard and those in that era that were deemed reprobates or worse. Why can’t we? Have we become the Pharisees of our generation?

Granted there are those times where we do need to avoid certain people under certain situations…I truly get it.

Here is one of mine….

Growing up, I did not hang around one my friends as much as I know I should have…he was gay. Now, before you bash me…go read some of my older stuff. You will realize that I was struggling in that area for a long time. I truly did have doubts as to if I was straight or gay. I knew what the Bible said and yet I also knew what I was feeling. It was war. But I was actually attracted to said friend so I distanced myself.

By no means was I, who was struggling with WHO I was, anywhere near the spiritual depth to discuss it with him solely based on scripture. Now I can and do.

I’m not afraid to be seen hanging out with anyone.  Neither should you dear friend.

I know who I am in Christ AND where I stand in reference to that relationship…as should we all.

And we all should be sharing Christ and that relationship with others…no matter who they are.

Now is the time to reach out!