How Christians Should Interact with People They Disagree With | a conviction the Lord has put on my heart

It is incredibly easy to recognize how politically charged our society and culture is, and I've found myself in a really strange place of trying to navigate that with my beliefs and sort out what the truth is and what the biblical response to our world is. I've been really prayerful about this and spent weeks talking to the Lord about what it looks like to be a Christian in such divisive times, and He's given me a lot of clarity that I want to share with you. The purpose of this post is not to be political or controversial, but to remind us all about how Jesus calls us to live and love in a society we may not always agree with, understand, or fit in with. I really needed this reminder, and I'm so thankful that we serve a Father who is a gentle and kind teacher in moments where everything seems so confusing and overwhelming.

The core of our interactions with others, both in the Christian circle and out of it, must be love. This is one of the most foundational commands of our faith, but it may also be the hardest to execute and somewhat of a gray area to navigate as we seek to balance truth and love.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love is our foundation, and love is our command. Because we have recieved the love of God, we are called to reflect that and represent His love to everyone we interact. But what does that look like? If we keep reading in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul spells out the answer for us very clearly.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This is what it looks like for us, as Christians, to be loving. This is how we should be treating anyone God puts in our path, whether believers or non-believers, whether we're from the same denomination, whether we agree with them or not. We are instructed to be patient and kind, humble and selfless. We are instructed to be forgiving and seek the truth. In every way, we are to resemble Christ and how He interacted with people, too.

As I think about how Christ interacted with people, I think about His gentleness. He went out of His way to meet with and speak life into people who were isolated and lonely, rejected by the world. He spoke the truth and cared about people's hearts. Jesus never spoke with the intention to shame someone, but to show them who He was and the life that He offers. He sought the freedom of the people He loved, and most times, He went about that by serving.

That's how I want to be, too.

In a world full of people I don't agree with, don't understand, or struggle to find common ground with, I want to be patient and gentle. I want to serve them and show them the miraculous freedom and grace I've found in Jesus. I want to speak the truth with a tone and words that does not condemn or frighten but encourages and uplifts. I want to be more like Jesus.

Too often I see people who claim to love Jesus repeatedly choose not to love people. The world associates Christians with being judgemental and hateful, and that's not because they made it up, that's because someone misrepresented Jesus to them. It is our job, each and every day, to do our part to demonstrate the character of the Father - and He doesn't go around whacking people on the head with Scripture or condemning them for being lost, so we shouldn't either.

As I was talking to the Lord about this one day, I read Matthew 5:44, which says, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," a verse we've all read before. But a few verses later, in verse 47, Jesus says, "And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"

That struck me.

If I only greet and talk to people in my circle, I'm no different than the world. If I only make space to love, care for, and invest in people who have the same beliefs at me, I'm no different than the world. I'm not loving people as Jesus would.

I believe we are called to be in the world but not of the world, and part of that means that we are going out, just like Jesus did, to love and minister to the people who are of this world. We are not supposed to join in their behaviors and sinful patterns, but we are called to sit around a table, talk, learn, and love right alongside them. This is way more uncomfortable and unnatural than simply living in our Christian bubble, and I'd be lying if I said this came easily to me, but the Lord has really put this on my heart.

The love the Lord calls us has no lines. There are no restrictions or regulations on who we are supposed to love - we are called to love everyone. This does not mean that we are supposed to support, encourage, or condone all behaviors or lifestyles, but it does mean that we are called to selflessly serve all people and even build relationships with the people God has placed in our path whom we may not agree with or see the world the same way.

It's time we start crossing the lines that the world has created and start loving the people on the other side.