I just recently saw a Facebook status that was about being homosexual, and that God accepts them, then they wrote, "You live your life, and I will live mine."
Now, I don't really know this person. And my thoughts in reading this aren't about the "gay issue" in the church or whatever it is called nowadays. My mind was drawn to the phrase that seems so common among my generation particularly, "you live your life, and I will live mine."
I wonder if that thinking is so common among places like Cambodia or South America, or pretty much any other country perhaps. Has this phrase or train of thought emerged from the American individualistic culture? Just a thought… Anyways…
Pondering about that way of thinking makes me ask anther question. Can we really live our lives in a way that it only affects us, and no one else? Weren't we created in community? And by God? It's not like we are born in this invisible box that shields and makes what we do invisible to our Creator and/or the people around us. That invisible box of separation does not exist. Every decision we make affects the heart of God, our relationship with Him, and our relationship with other people.
In some ways it seems this way of thinking has plagued my generation, but if we lean in close enough we might notice that it is merely an echo of an age old cry, "am I my brother's keeper!?" The old story in Genesis 4 does not record God directly answering Cain's question, but God does say, "your brother's blood crises out to Me from the ground." In other words, what Cain did will never cease to be heard in the ear drums of our heavenly Judge.
God is not in the business of just letting us live our lives. He will hold an account for every thing done, ever. He is not a passive God who is unconcerned with how we live. He cares deeply, within every fiber of His being about the way we choose to live our lives. He is our heavenly, righteous, Judge who is on our side.
When we decide we are accountable to no one, that we are in our own little invisible box, we are in for an awakening on the day when we see the Lord face-to-face. God deeply loves and is more active in our lives than we realize. Not one thought, sigh or deed is irrelevant to God. And to me, that is good news!
“Live and let live” basically implies tolerance…..which can be a good thing or an act of avoidance and disobedience. It really depends on who you’re talking to and how far this concept reaches and has penetrated one’s worldview. It is also a “motto” found in The AA Big Book,” Alcoholics Anonymous” on page 135. I believe the intention behind this motto was to discourage us all from trying to remove the speck from our brother’s eye when we have a plank in our own.
That being said, I agree with you that we are doing others wrong if we avoid conflict or judgement of men to appear tolerant as if our avoidance of appearing wrong or intolerant can actually prevent us or someone else from eternal harm. Not speaking the truth about something can sometimes feel safer in the moment but hurts us all in the long run…..and you and I know it is a mighty long run…..in fact endless. May we all have the courage to appear wrong even when we are not and refrain from making apologies in order to appease others and say what their itching ears want to hear.
Yeah, I see what you are saying. And thanks for your thoughts. My point, was simply that God holds to account everything we do. And I think that is a liberating truth to hear and know.
Now us taking on the role of us holding people accountable is another post for a different time 😉