Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out as fishers of men.”
I hate to admit that I did laugh a bit when I saw the video. I was so taken aback by the rawness of the testimony, that I no longer viewed it as a testimony, but more of a joke.
The church’s camera zoomed in on the woman as she emotionally began to speak about her experiences living in sin, revealing some very graphic details about the things she had experienced. I began to read the comments and saw person after person make fun of her and call her heartbreaking names. The cruelty quickly wiped the grin off my face and the Holy Spirit convicted my heart.
That very woman represented God’s answer to many of our prayers, yet we don’t even realize it. We often petition God for our church to grow, but if we are honest, we already have in mind the demographic in which we want to grow our church. We want well established, tithe paying, family friendly members added to the flock; because that’s, well, easier… and more beneficial. But when God called us to be fishers of men, he didn’t give us the freedom to pick and choose what fish we catch and what fish we throw back. We all don’t mind fishing, but we are also called to clean the fish.
Sometimes, God will choose to add fish to our flock that needs cleaning. As followers of Christ, we have to be willing to humble ourselves and welcome people with love and without judgment and ridicule. Not everyone that walks through the doors of our church will speak well, or with any tact. Not every person will know the “rules” of the church and may do some things that are considered out of line. In those moments, will we choose to love with the love of the Lord or will we shame them back into the world? Will we step up to the call of Jesus and teach them the ways of God, or will we make a joke out of them?
Winning souls for Christ is no laughing matter and it’s no easy task. Joyce Meyer says “You can’t expect to be able to love people right, if you don’t think about them right!” Are we seeing all who enter the doors of our church with the eyes of Christ or with the eyes of man, which in all honesty, is usually just a reflection of ourselves.
I thank God for loving me enough to convict my heart at that very moment. I now see how my heart and thoughts towards all God’s children show in how I treat new believers. I challenge you to search your heart and thoughts to see just where you stand. Are you seeing with the eyes of Christ or with the eyes of man? If you’re not seeing with the eyes of Christ, remember, you’re simply looking in the mirror.
Heavenly Father, I stand in repentance for every time I have laughed at, talked about or shamed anyone seeking you in a way that I deemed unacceptable because of my judgmental heart. God create within me a clean heart, so that I may see with the eyes of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
By: Min April Carter
