I have shared with y’all before about the little game I developed a few years ago. It’s called, “Let’s Invite Jesus to Play.”
You see, when I have to be around difficult people, or I am in the midst of a difficult situation, I visualize Jesus standing right there. Right next to the hateful person, or seated at the table where the difficult conversation is unfolding.
I have a smart mouth. A wicked, sarcastic mouth. And as funny as I often find myself to be, I know I should cling to my friend Lindsey’s advice to me many, many years ago, “Think it, don’t say it.”
Ugggghhhh. What I really need to do is not think it. But I am human. So of course I think it. I need to keep working on the don’t say it part. I am getting there, slowly but surely. But I slip up, a lot, too.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” - Romans 12:18 (NIV)
With some people, I get it. It is just not possible to leave at peace with them. Bob Goff has a great saying in Love Does, “I don’t mean to sound callous, because the bad ones need friends too. They just don’t need you. Jesus doesn’t give satan any grace. He just speaks the truth to him and then tells him to go away.” (From Love Does, Catching A Ride chapter). I have that page dogeared and underlined/highlighted.
For our own protection; be it physical, mental or emotional … some people do not need to be in our lives. But if it is possible, as far as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with everyone.
Sometimes when I read Paul’s letters, I think, “Yeah, but you didn’t have to deal with the kind of jerks we are dealing with, Paul. You have no idea.” As soon as I think that, though, the Holy Spirit nudges me with a, “Oh you think so? You don’t think those people who beat him and threw him in prison fell into the “jerks” category?”
I don’t know about y’all, but the Holy Spirit sure does step on my toes, a lot. It’s truly a wonder I can wear open-toed heels and sandals. (You have to admit, that was funny).
Social media these days is a great place for us to be inviting Jesus to play, more often. As we type out those snarky, “I’ll put you in your place” replies, what if we looked up from our phones, ipads and laptops and pictured Jesus right next to us? Would He be proud of our response, or would it make Him sad?
If it is possible, as far as it depends on us, live at peace with everyone. Sometimes it isn’t possible, because some people are just too awful. But we don’t have to sit at their table. We can get up and walk away. Sometimes, however, it is possible. And we can just “think it, don’t say it.” This way, when the people who are watching us see how we act and talk about things, maybe ... Just maybe, we can draw them closer to Jesus.
We need more Jesus and less us on social media, and everywhere.