Kindness as a Weapon

The Truth Project is phenomenal. I was blessed to attend the training a few weeks ago and cannot wait to share what I have learned with those around me. Check it out for yourself.

Warfare is a constant hot topic. Often, as we would drive through Crawford (past Bush's ranch) on the way to the ranch there would be picket signs against it. Cindy Sheehan was in a fight against President Bush. The truth is that her battle was on a much deeper level than that. I would say that is the case with all warfare. We try to take our hurt horizontal and find our solution in the same way. The issue at hand and heart is one that is vertical. 

ARE YOU LIVING OUT THE SIMPLE THINGS YOU KNOW?

I wrote about Indian tactics in Patina. They set fires to the wagons and distracted the pilgrims. With their guard down, the enemy snuck in and slaughtered them. The enemy's strategy has not changed. He is still trying to distract you with a temporal fire to keep you from having your guard up. 

Put on Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6 says to take up the full armor. Truth. Righteousness. Gospel of Peace. Faith. Salvation. Paul is describing Christ to you. We must humble ourselves and realize that we cannot fight this battle and cannot enable the characteristics. Christ alone. I firmly believe that the less we focus on us (fixing us and making us more godly) and the more we simply put on Christ the more battles we will win without even knowing that we are fighting. Dress us, Father, in the fullness of your Son.

The temporal fire the enemy uses to distract us is people. I believe we have deceived ourselves in how we show Christ to others. We refuse to show kindness to those who need it most. We make nasty comments about people right in our churches. We delude ourselves by saying we are kind and merciful. In reality we have localized who we show kindness to. We show kindness where it is comfortable. We spend more time in the classroom than we do in the world. We are sitting and learning so much head knowledge. What are we doing with it? Have you localized your Christ? Have you kept Him in theory and knowledge?

What have you done to serve others? Better yet, what have you done to serve others who are not like you? We need to get out of the lab and out to field test our Christ. 

Kindness is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. By kindness you show the one who wounded you that you know Christ is bigger than their wound which led to their wounding. Sometimes kindness is confrontational. It does not leave others stuck in sin. If you are mocking or being hateful to anyone, you are outside the will of God. You are showing people how small your God is. You speak with your life that your God is unable to heal wounds... not capable of removing bitterness.

I heard the President of the Southern Baptist Convention say that people were leaving the Southern Baptist faith in droves. The problem he said is that we are known much more for what we are against that Who we are for.

Kindness is your weapon. What will you do with it?

Challenge of the week: Have you ever volunteered at a soup kitchen, church under the bridge, or gone on a real mission trip? It is time you stepped out of your localized area of of serving and met the real needs of the poor. What good would it do a team to memorize a playbook and never go onto the field? Stop wondering how this all relates to you. Quit complaining. Glorify God for the great things He is doing. His beauty is relentless. His strong arm is unequaled. Praise God for the grace and kindness He has offered us. Praise Him for overwhelming friendship. May the Lord Almighty speak deep conviction, repentance, and kindness into your heart at this very moment. "I have been so fortunate. I think that kind of grace carries obligation."

-Christa Brown, Austin Attorney

My Week's Highlight Reel:

We chatted with this grandpa and granddaughter while they ate dipped cones. I loved this old man immediately. He brought his granddaughter out on his motorcycle to get a treat for her birthday.

*Personal Note: I don't want to dictate anyone's convictions, but I would like to ask that you not run out with your girlfriends to see Sex in the City. It glorifies abortion, promiscuity, and masturbation. Don't compromise the beautiful woman God created you to be. Don't show less than who you are to others.