Mean

"... All you're ever gonna be is mean ..."

Taylor Swift captured the emotions of her teeny-bopper fans with her self-promoting catchy pop-country song.  Still, the message here is very real.

Some people thrive on cynicism, glass-half-full pessimism, and outright bad attitudes towards themselves, others, and life in general.  And, it seems we're at a peak moment in The Church.  That's right ... God's Church.

I'm a pastor's kid, raised in the deep South around fundamental conservative right-wingers who were unashamedly narrow in their views about our doctrine, about religion in general, and certainly about race and culture issues.  It truly is amazing that I escaped that sub-culture Christianity with any sort of worldview outside of the rural and racially bigoted 1960s Dixie-crat South where I was born.

The Bible clearly states that ALL of us have sinned.  Missed the 'mark'.  Strayed off course.  Broken God's heart.  And we all need salvation, redemption, and healing.  ALL of us.  Including the religious bigots, zealots, and hyper-spiritual meanies among us.  So, why so mean?  Really?!

You would think that those of us who have been born again, bought by the Blood, sanctified by the Spirit, walking with Jesus, could find it within ourselves to exhibit just a little bit of kindness, gentleness, meekness, and all those other fruity flavors of Holy Spirit living ... right?

I heard one of my great mentor-pastors say recently, " ... if you got baptized by the Holy Spirit forty years ago and you can't get through a week without being mean, angry, short-tempered, and just plain rude ... YOU LEAKED ... and you need to go GET SOME MORE ...".

How true!  If you are not choosing to live DAILY in an attitude of humility, forgiveness, understanding, and yes -- tolerance of others -- the truth is, you may have LEAKED and you need some MORE of the Holy Spirit's en-filling, as we say in the Church.

I expect rudeness, anger, and plain ole crazy behavior out of people who have chosen to reject God, the Gospel, and the Spirit-led purpose filled life.  Normal ... for anyone who rejects a moral compass and a compassionate reason for living ... is going to naturally become self-centered, mean-spirited, and outright dangerous to the community and culture around them.  Check out the Taliban!

But for those who say they have chosen to live for Christ and His Kingdom ... a NEW set of rules applies.  We are NEW creatures according to Scripture.  There is a NEW reason for living.  Old attitudes, behaviors, and agendas need to fade into the new creation that the Holy Spirit is forming within us ... IF we say we believe.  Jus' sayin.

So, Christians ... quit being mean!  Get over your SELF and start loving others for who they are created to become in light of God's love, the Gospel, and His Kingdom.  You'll be surprised at how refreshing, and how creative, and how holy it will feel to just be nice!