A New Purpose

 For those of you who have been here before, it's been a while.  For those who are new, welcome.  Either way a lot has changed for me in the several years since I last posted.  I bought a house and land and left one employer for a rival employer who offered to pay me more. 

One of the things that I want to do with this blog is to share some of the struggles and sometimes the solutions that I've found with growing up as an Independent Fundamental Baptist and then realizing that it's not exactly biblical.  If you have questions or want me to address a specific topic please leave a comment.  Please note, the opinions and views expressed here are mine, and they are not comprehensive nor exclusive.  Unkindness with not be tolerated. On that note, let's talk about my first topic, which time and time again I've seen as something that is consistently lacking in IFB circles and that is Love. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 gives the big picture view of the importance of love and loving and what kind of priority it should have.  It comes above eloquent speech, prophetic powers, faith, charity, and even martyrdom.  These attributes are those which Jesus demonstrated during his time on earth.  However he did each of them with love as the driving motivation.  

Most IFBer's would say that they love but my question is, "can you love unconditionally without condemning a person for what you would consider sin?"  Most times they can't.  They might be quiet about it but you can tell by the way that they treat you and talk to you that they are looking down on you.  I know because it's happened to me.

Now for those who have grown up in Fundamentalism I do have hope, because for many it was an indoctrination, not a choice, to view life and people this way.  The first thing that someone must be able to do is to love yourself.  But isn't that selfish?  I contend that it is not.  Mark 12:30-31 gives us the greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment the later of which commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself"  If we are unable to love ourselves as we ought, then we will be unable to love others as well.  I have personally seen someone who didn't know how to love themselves and the change to be able to love others when they learned how to love themselves.  

Love is the most important command that God has given us.  Not love with a dash of correct doctrine.  Not love with a speech on health living.  Not love with a note about modesty or sobriety.  Just love people where they are.  We can't change people.  Only Holy Spirit can do that so let's love people who are hurting where they are hurting in the way that they need loved and be the conduit for Holy Spirit power in their life.