Pray in public, and get arrested. Talk about God in public, and get arrested. Over the years, I have heard stories like this right here in the United States. Now, there are not a lot of stories like this, and they tend to get worked out in the end. The point is, there should not be any stories like this! It should not happen at all!
On January 21, 1781, Robert Aitken presented a “memorial” – meaning petition – to Congress offering to print “a neat Edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools.” On September 10, 1782, our Congress recommended this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States.
I think you can see that in some ways, things have changed! Over the years, there has been confusion about what we can do legally. I think because we as a nation do not talk enough about God, our understanding of our rights has become clouded. Our focus as a nation has also become clouded.
If we want to retain our freedoms here at home, we need to exercise our freedom of speech and our freedom of religion. Exercising our freedoms help secure them; it brings awareness to others and reminds them that we have those rights.
We need to pray for our missionaries here in the United States. In the Bible Belt, where churches are built around the corner from each other, it’s easy to forget that in other parts of our nation, churches are miles and miles apart. Yet, even here in the Bible Belt, there are people who are not saved.
In other countries, being so open about our faith could be a challenge. They do not have the freedoms we have. We need to be in prayer for our missionaries there as well. Many of them risk their lives daily for our Lord and Savior.
We know we are all called to share our faith, not just missionaries. Having said that, sometimes we may get caught up in political correctness. We can easily go down that rabbit trail.
Consider these verses:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:37-39
Let’s see if we can get a little different perspective on political correctness as it relates to sharing our faith.
The Bible teaches us to share Jesus. It also teaches us to love others. Now, let me ask you something. How loving is it, if you know someone is not saved, to let them die without talking to them about Jesus?
And let me add, only God knows when that person will draw their last breath. Knowing their fate, should they die without accepting Jesus as their Savior, can you really stand by and say nothing?
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29
Our challenge today is to overcome our politically correct phobias. Let’s NOT stand by and say nothing. Let’s share Jesus with those around us before it is eternally too late!