IJS: MORE THAN JUST ANGELS

As stated in Hebrew 13:2-New Living Translation, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Well when you think about it, we as Christians entertain not only angels, but we also entertain unbelievers and demonic forces unaware. Being not of this world does not protect us from being in close proximity to all that’s in the world.

Our actions towards others can deter people from God. Why would someone want to be a Christian when they look at you? What does your light say about you? Is it a bright light or a dim light? Matthew 5:16- New Living Translation states, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” This isn’t about being perfect, but it is all about the lip services and the actual services we display through our actions.

As I previously stated, we aren’t just entertaining angels unaware, we are also entertaining unbelievers and demonic forces unaware. When a Christian defames another person or does someone wrong, why should an unbeliever believe in the God we serve? Why should they want to worship with us as believers? Are we giving demonic forces ammunition to rise up against all believers? These are the questions we must always openly ask ourselves.

The walk we decided to take isn’t always easy because we all have battles within that we must fight daily. However, the hard walk should not include hurtful actions towards other people. Matthew 7:12 states “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” This golden rule makes everything good fall in place. Loving people and treating them the way we want to be treated helps the world move with grace and mercy. If we as Christians would follow this ethical principle as much as possible, I believe the love God intended us to have will shine brighter.

The discord among Christians has created an unrest that can only be deterred by fellow Christians. We can’t turn a blind eye to our own demise and look at the news and shake our heads at the killings that seem to happen somewhere every day. We as Christians can’t pretend to love others, but then purposely make others feel unworthy or less than every chance we get. We as Christians can’t hide our money and shopping bags from our spouses, but then turn our noses up at the unmarried women/men with children as though they are the scum of the earth. We as Christians can’t act holier than thou, but then gossip and defame another person without care or concern. Christians are on display more now than ever and we seem to be the ones hurting others while praising God and saying we love everybody! It is as though true praise and worship, and genuine love is on an assembly line and the remote controller works in a timely manner. But God always has a way of revealing the fakery and the truth. He has a way of stopping that assembly line and destroying remote controlled praises. However, it is unfortunate that when the truth is revealed no real change or permanent change occurs. When I think about it, all this is happening in the midst of unbelievers or people who may be simply struggling to maintain their faith. We as Christians must take a hard look at ourselves if we want love to prevail in this world!

Life is what it is, I get that and people make mistakes. However, it is up to us to genuinely correct the paths we take and be aware of who we entertain. Matthew 7: 13-14 states “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Christianity is not a walk in the park, but each step is necessary and should be taken seriously. Don’t jeopardize your soul for a little stage play for those who could care less about the God you say you serve or whether you end up in hell. Be careful how you entertain people, you just may be the only source that leads them to Christ. Or, you may just be the only vessel that’s available to plant the seed that allows a person to mature in Christ and serve God, the Creator of all things.

IJS: Angels aren’t the only ones you need to worry about entertaining unaware. Besides, they already know about our great God and why He deserves all the honor and praise.