Radical Lifestyle

Why is the main point of differentiating ourselves, when it comes to the religious arena, so heavily leaning on what takes place on Sunday mornings (or at our church gatherings)? From my heritage, we’ve tried to cause ourselves to be or look “right” by doing certain things on Sunday mornings that other people do not do. The reason could be one of many that we practice such practices and few are probably the right reason!

Jesus is such a great instructor. At his young age of 30ish he had a way of describing things that were relevant and timeless. This last set of verses in the chapter (Matthew 5:43-48) was what I need to have some good reminders on from time to time.

I need to be reminded to love those who hate and pray for those who persecute me. It brings out a radically new way of thinking and approaching people in life. As we ended Matthew 5 yesterday, here are some applications to think about from Sunday’s lesson…

• Love Your Enemies ~ If you watch television for very long during this time we live, it won’t be shocking to see two people who are seeing eye-to-eye calling each other names. These names are not going to be that house-friendly. To unconditionally so love or deep care for someone who you consider your enemy takes some radical change of focus…Jesus calls us to do that.
• Pray for Your Persecutors ~ I know I am not the only one who feels this way, but have you ever found it less difficult to not like someone when you are praying for them? This is going to take some radical changes for some to adopt this principle. The praying should be consistent, not a one-time prayer. Jesus calls us to pray for our persecutors!
• Live Differently ~ Being nice doesn’t always cut it. Did you find any of the previous two applications challenging, bordering on difficult? You might be one who can be nice to all kinds of people under the normal circumstances, but Jesus didn’t expect people to have a “normal” life. That is probably why He wants them to understand the way of living that isn’t like everyone else, but rather shows who is living in you. Jesus calls us to not just be nice or friendly but to be different.

This type of living is inward that comes to the surface. One can live a life on the outside which will may be a total facade. When the times become a bit tense, or, in this case, someone does them wrong, the inward comes to the surface, in a bad way. Where the one who lives a life that is the same inward as outward will not see a major difference when someone treats them in a negative way.

I take from this to live a life that is different so that they will not see that I may have different practices on Sunday morning, but that I have a different way of practicing every day of the week!