It’s a human response; we all want to fit in. Nobody likes to be rejected, especially not by people that we like or respect. It’s inevitable, though; no two people are going to have complete agreement on every possible topic of discussion.
Many places that I have worked have a strict policy that thou shalt not discuss sex, religion, or politics in the workplace, simply because these are where most of our hot-button issues are. These are the topics that can get people the most upset or outraged the quickest. The real problem here is that sometimes these subjects really need to be discussed. I have tried to stay away from politics, here, because I don’t feel that it is the purpose of this blog to discuss politics; religion is generally enough of a hot-button issue all by itself. I know some churches and other religious organizations form political organizations, because they feel strongly that religion ties into politics (and, to a very great extent, it does), but the IRS tends to frown on religious organizations taking political positions. A religious organization can lose its tax-exempt status by advocating a particular political candidate, but a political organization can get tax-exempt status as long as it is not religious, even if it has ties to a religious organization.
The point is, some people are very sensitive about some things. If you tell someone that the religious beliefs that they grew up with are not good enough to carry them into eternity, at least a few of them will get upset. If you try to share Jesus with someone, they may not appreciate what you are sharing. Does that mean you shouldn’t share? of course not. Scripture commands each of us to do the work of an evangelist. What you shouldn’t do is take people’s response to the Gospel personally. There will be many that won’t like it; that’s a given. There will be some whose lives will be changed dramatically. Some will even make it to Heaven because you took the time to share with them. If you worry about people rejecting the message, though, then you won’t share, and the consequences will be dire. If God lays it on your heart to share with someone, then do it.
It’s understandable if you have bad feelings about people rejecting God’s will. Samuel had a hard time with that in his day. God had to remind him that the people were not rejecting Samuel; they were rejecting God (1 Samuel 8:7). Out of all the things that have changed since Samuel’s day, one thing that has not changed is people’s willingness to obey God (or lack thereof). Some people are, and some people aren’t, and I suspect the ratio between the two groups has remained constant since the beginning of the world.
Many places that I have worked have a strict policy that thou shalt not discuss sex, religion, or politics in the workplace, simply because these are where most of our hot-button issues are. These are the topics that can get people the most upset or outraged the quickest. The real problem here is that sometimes these subjects really need to be discussed. I have tried to stay away from politics, here, because I don’t feel that it is the purpose of this blog to discuss politics; religion is generally enough of a hot-button issue all by itself. I know some churches and other religious organizations form political organizations, because they feel strongly that religion ties into politics (and, to a very great extent, it does), but the IRS tends to frown on religious organizations taking political positions. A religious organization can lose its tax-exempt status by advocating a particular political candidate, but a political organization can get tax-exempt status as long as it is not religious, even if it has ties to a religious organization.
The point is, some people are very sensitive about some things. If you tell someone that the religious beliefs that they grew up with are not good enough to carry them into eternity, at least a few of them will get upset. If you try to share Jesus with someone, they may not appreciate what you are sharing. Does that mean you shouldn’t share? of course not. Scripture commands each of us to do the work of an evangelist. What you shouldn’t do is take people’s response to the Gospel personally. There will be many that won’t like it; that’s a given. There will be some whose lives will be changed dramatically. Some will even make it to Heaven because you took the time to share with them. If you worry about people rejecting the message, though, then you won’t share, and the consequences will be dire. If God lays it on your heart to share with someone, then do it.
It’s understandable if you have bad feelings about people rejecting God’s will. Samuel had a hard time with that in his day. God had to remind him that the people were not rejecting Samuel; they were rejecting God (1 Samuel 8:7). Out of all the things that have changed since Samuel’s day, one thing that has not changed is people’s willingness to obey God (or lack thereof). Some people are, and some people aren’t, and I suspect the ratio between the two groups has remained constant since the beginning of the world.
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