Honey Do and Hell Don't

Wednesday night at Bible study, my daughter made the impactful comment that church is not as much about “Honey, do” as “Hell don’t.”

What she meant, she explained, is that in a real relationship, it focuses on what we do for each other. If you are a good friend, you talk to them regularly. You encourage them. You do things to show them that they are important. But Christians focus on what not to do so they don’t go to hell. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t kill. Don’t break the rules.

Except I would take it one step further. I would say there is a lot of focus, not on what we shouldn’t do, but on not looking like them when in fact, the focus should be on how to live like Him.

This past week I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on the scripture from Psalm 51:10-12:

Create in me a pure heart, Oh God.

Renew a steadfast spirit with in me.
Do not case me from your presence.
Do not take your spirit from me.
Restore me to the joy of your salvation,
And grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

And as I’ve meditated on this and asked the Holy Spirit to speak to me, the question keeps coming to mind:

When people see my faith, do they see

what I stand against or Whom I live for?

I’ve wandered through the Gospels, and there is something compelling about Christ. He didn’t make a difference because He yelled about all things He stood against. He made a difference by living what He stood for.

I want to make a difference.

And I am asking the Lord to correct me as necessary.
Is my faith defined by what I stand against…
…or the One I live for?