"What is your biggest pet-peeve?"It puzzled me because growing up, I didn't really have pet-peeves. Only now can I really say that I have a pet-peeve, now that no one asks the question. My biggest pet-peeve is when Christians refuse to have anything to do with our world. This can be anything from environmental stewardship to showing God's love to our world.
I have seen a variety of Christians who neglect to preserve our physical world because they believe that the world is going to end up burning eventually anyway, so why should we treat the world any different? I see this the most probably when I listen to political debates. Why do you think environmentalists want to try to find an alternative energy source? Even those who aren't Christians realize that we can't run on oil forever, furthermore they have seen how pollution from oil has effected the earth already. Those against finding alternative energy sources don't believe that we'll run out of oil until after Jesus' return, so why should we spend our energy finding alternative energy sources? This also reflects on our consumerism. We try to consume all we can before we die, not thinking twice about what we throw away. Does it bother anyone else that America has 5% of the world's population while consuming around 25% of the world's resources and contribute to 75% of the world's global toxic waste? Maybe if we were a bit more generous the rest of the world wouldn't be living quite so poorly and we wouldn't be wasting so much.
While I do feel strongly against consumerism and not taking good care of the things God has given us and expects us to take good care of, I feel even stronger about not showing God's love to those God has entrusted to us.
I have seen too many Christians who get comfortable reading their Bibles everyday, growing in their faith, but who don't show anyone the love God has placed in their hearts. They are well meaning, they want everyone they meet to love God like they do, but somewhere between being comfortable and wanting everyone to love God as they do, the message isn't received the way they anticipate it will and it gets frustrating. Somewhere when we get frustrated, we forget how God loved us when we were still sinners, and we get caught up with all the little things that are wrong with those we are trying to save. We want to tell them why what they're doing is wrong... drinking, having tattoos, homosexuality, dishonesty, Halloween, ... the list keeps going and it will go on forever until we remember to love them the same way God loved us. When Jesus was here on Earth, he didn't tell sinners what they were doing was wrong, after they believed in Jesus with their hearts, only then did Jesus tell them to "sin no more". The only times Jesus confronted someone with what they were doing wrong, he was talking to those who were already Christians, the Pharisees.
James tell us that "Faith without works is dead" and he is so right! James 2:14-26
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
This is about the time most churches are talking about what they should do for their "Harvest Festivals". A celebration they have around Halloween for the kids in their community. There are different reasons for having a Harvest Party, but I think the most common reason is to have a safe, fun place for the kids during the Halloween season. Some have it on October 31st, while others have it on the Saturday or Sunday before then. These parties are filled with carnival-type games, and tons of prizes and candy for the kids to take home with them. Some churches even include a time where they formally share the story of God's love with those who come. The problem I have seen these churches face is they don't know how they can make kids stay for this sharing time. Which tempts those planning to make their "Harvest Party" about telling the kids and parents why they shouldn't go trick or treating and why Halloween is bad. I think this is where we've forgotten to love these families the same way God loves us, and you're right, when you take the fun and games out of the night, you can't expect your guests to want to stay. We need to find a way to share God's love throughout the entire night. That's why most churches don't have a formal time to share with the kids, they know that throughout the night, each kid will interact with your Harvest Party workers, who will be sharing God's love with each kid they meet. Not to say a formal sharing time isn't good, I like the idea - just not when it takes the fun out of the night.
I hate to think that we're expressing the idea that Christianity isn't fun, I mean, when we talk about all the things that are wrong in our community, we're only reminding them what we, as Christians, are against. This only strengthens their belief that Christianity is boring and that we never have any fun as Christians. We need to make an effort to show the world what we are for and that we have fun everyday in the relationship with have with God, our Savior.
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