Stop Being Religious

There are just some things I want to address here. I want to free you from the bondage of worrying about what people think of you.

First, please be reminded that the measure of a Christian woman is not how long her dresses are, if her meals are cooked from scratch everyday, makes homemade bread, sews all her clothes, and whether she homeschools or not.

We Christian women can sometimes get confused by all the voices that we hear coming at us. Even if they are good or well meaning. Sometimes it can lead us to even become judgmental, critical, harsh and not accepting of those whom are different from us.

But the true measure of a Christian woman is who she is in Christ and how much she loves. What is in her heart? 

Does she look for the lonely person and extend a hand of friendship to them (no matter how different they are?)? Or does she look down her nose at them because they are different--and not like her?

I think back to times when we have visited churches (large and small churches, mind you) and not greeted by barely anyone. Why is this so? We have even stayed for meals, or lingered after the service with barely a word said to us. My children saw first hand how the body of Christ ignored their family. I was grieved having to explain how Christians didn't make an effort to get to know us.

Are we too religious to welcome in the lost?

Maybe they don't measure up to our "standards"?

Are we too comfortable with our Christian circles?

Christ didn't come so we could be a Christian country club.

He died so the lost could be saved. 

And we are missing opportunities.

The other day my daughters asked for a friend to stay the night. We normally don't do that and they asked at the last minute. We declined because we were tired and the house was a mess. But then the Lord put something heavy on my heart. Here He was putting an unsaved child in our path, who did not know Him  and was struggling. God wanted this to happen but it did not fit into "my" schedule. Did I actually turn away someone who needed Him more than ever? I felt sooooooo convicted and set up the following week to have her over. She got to eat with us, rest and play with us, talked with us and even called our home "peaceful".  The result? She went to church  with us the next day, heard the gospel, and wants to visit again.
  
More than ever before I am learning what it takes to truly love others. I never want one person who visits our church or that God has put in our lives to go unnoticed. To eat a meal alone, to visit and not be talked to. My children also vowed that this would not happen to another either.

Even if they're different.

I am grateful for that.








What person is God nudging in your heart to show love to today?
 

**********

Are you encouraged here? I personally invite you to subscribe and get the latest posts sent to your inbox. Also, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and get updates that are not posted here on the blog.  Don't forget to enter into our special giveaway!