As a child growing up, my mother had a gay friend that I was around often. I thought he was really cool, and I still do today. I was raised to accept anyone and everyone for whoever they are whether they are gay, straight, black, white, foreign, anything. I understood that, and agreed with it strongly.
Recently with in the past nine months I have been going to church, and strengthening my relationship with God. Prior to this nine month period that I have used to develop my relationship I had never gone to church, so my views were never influenced by anything in the Bible. Now that my views are influenced by the bible my life has changed so much for the better. Things make sense now. Everything I do has a purpose. And then of course I came to the point in the Bible that tore me apart.
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (NKJ, Leviticus 18:22)
The reason this tears me apart is because I have been told my whole life that those who are gay are perfectly okay, and nothing else.
I talked to other christians about it, and tried to see if it was a miss understanding, but if you look it is pretty clear, no miss understandings.
Usually when I read something in the Bible that goes against my old ways I have no problem. I read it, I understand it, I follow it because I understand that my life is way better now because I do so. However, when I read this part of the Bible I did not feel that way at all. I felt completely torn. How was I to tell someone they are wrong? How am I supposed to look at someone in tears for how they have been treated and tell them that they are wrong?
I fell to my knees in prayer time and time again.
Then finally one day God threw it in my face. I talk about it all the time. I did a sermon on it at my church. I post things about it all the time, and yet I was so blind I did not see it.
It is not OUR place to judge. It is only GOD's place to judge.
God never meant for us to go around and tell people whether or not what they are doing is right. What he did mean for us however, is to lead the people to the doors of his kingdom. Bring people into the church. Bring people to him, God. And then let God himself talk to them and tell them about their wrong doings. Our only job is to get them to the alter. Not judge them so they never get there.
When we tell someone they are trash, it is like telling God he is trash. We have to remember that they are still part of God's creation, and God does not make trash.
Would you follow someone in to their house if they first insulted you? Say you were homeless, and someone on the streets confronted you. They told you how stupid you were because you never got an education to get yourself out of where you are. They told you how lazy you were because you do not have a job. They told you how revolting you were because of your smell and your looks. Then they asked you to follow them to their house. Would you follow them? Would you trust them?
So then why do we expect to be able to help those that we think are sin ridden, if all we do is criticize them for their sins? We become so angry and frustrated that they are not coming to the doors of the church, but we do not realize that what we are doing is driving them away. We do not realize that every time we insult them we are just creating an army and a barrier against us. Each insult is a fuel to their sinful fire. The more we insult them the more they do not want to come back. Everyone knows that God is within themselves. Everyone can feel it. Some do not understand it, so they never follow it. Some fight it because they are afraid. Some understand it, and love it, so they follow it. Some turn against it because those who follow it turn against them. When they realize that something that was supposed to be good is no longer good they grow angry and scared, and that is why they do not follow us. We say that we are just trying to lead them to good, and yet we are just elongating the path to Him.
"The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period."James 2:10 in the Message
All sins are the same according to God. Shoplifting is the same as gay marriage. Adultery and sex before marriage is the same as homosexuality. It is all the same in God's eyes. So why do we single them out?
I am just saying we should not focus on what they are doing wrong because that is not what we are here to do. God does not want us here so that we tear each other apart with accusations. He put us here so that we could show others his love. That is all we should do, lead them to the alter, and let God take it from there.
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