I hate the misconception that as a Christian I am somehow expected to be a pushover. I hate that as a Christ follower people think that I am kindly supposed to take whatever is dished out to me without any retaliation in the process. It is basically assumed that in everything that is said or done to me or said or done to those around me, I am simply expected to roll over and play dead.
I won’t do that…simply because Jesus didn’t do that. As a matter of fact, he stood up for himself boldly! Every time I think of this misconception I think of the example that Jesus Christ set for us. Examine Jesus’ actions in the following scene…
“Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:12-13
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I can see Jesus throwing the tables in sheer anger and frustration at the indecency that was occurring in the Lord’s house. I see His reaction as encouragement in how I can react in my own life. Am I called to lash out every time someone wrongs me or someone I love? I don’t believe so, but I believe that Jesus calls us to stand firm in ourselves, our beliefs and our values. There are things in life that we need to fight for, and people we need to stick up for. We are encouraged by Christ’s example to fight for justice, equality, love and peace. Especially in Jesus’ name and for His Kingdom.
There are those who believe that you standing firm is actually against God, that somehow it doesn’t “display a Christ-like lifestyle”. But in all actuality, and as seen by Jesus himself here, Jesus did not come to this world to live a passive pushover lifestyle. He came to shake things up…in the name of the Lord. He came to challenge the hearts and actions of men to rid them of deceit and evil. He came to speak out against evil in this world.
And so I encourage you, stand strong for what is right, speak the truth boldly with love and challenge confidently wrongdoing in this world. You are no longer expected to roll over and play dead.
I’m with you 100 percent on that, Laura. People, especially non-Christians, seem to think there is no difference bewteen being a Christian and being a doormat. I think some of that perception is related to the way Christ is portrayed both in and out of the church.
In particular, his teachings on turning the other cheek figure prominently on how unchurched people view Him; applying that one teaching in all instances – which is what people will think should happen in the absence of knowing the rest of Christ’s teachings – makes Christ appear as some sort of wimpering weakling who won’t retaliate against anything.
Personally, I’d like to see greater exposure of the image of Christ as depicted in Revelation. To unbelievers, that “wimpering weakling” will be the most terrifying thing ever visted upon the planet, and I’d rather people saw that side of Him before the trumpets start sounding.