Posts Tagged: Seventh-day Adventists

Serving Alcohol and a Kentucky County Clerk

I wish Christians wouldn’t make it so hard to be a Christian witness in this world!

Why do Christians protest abortion clinics?

Why do Christians hold-up signs that read, “Adam & Eve NOT Adam & Steve”?

Why do Christians put up signs that say, “Sunday is the Mark of the Beast”?

And why does Kim Davis insist on keeping her job?

I am pro-life. I am not in favor of gay marriage. I believe ONE day (not today) but one day Sunday will be the mark of the beast. I do agree that Kim Davis should obey her conscience if her conscience so tells her and not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

But you can believe all the latter issues without participating in the former!

By participating in the former in the manner they do, these Christians make it more difficult for the rest of us in the Christian world to have a receptive audience in the world to talk about Jesus!

Instead most people just want to know, “Why are Christians so mean and weird?”

Every time I as a Christian have to waste a breath explaining that I am not the protestor outside the abortion clinic or the hate monger holding up a sign that says, “God kills f_ _ _ dead”; that I am not part of the group that posted the billboard on the freeway proclaiming the Pope as the anti-christ, and that I do believe Kim Davis should simply resign…

I am wasting a breath in which I could be and should be talking about Jesus.

In this latest of issues, Mrs. Davis & all the Christians that have a bent towards unproductive activism, may I share a story from my life that would help the rest of us in the Christian world bring the focus back to Jesus & not to have you be the face of Christianity everyone is talking about.

When I was in college I came under the conviction that I should not serve alcohol to individuals. The conflict I faced as a result of this conviction was that I worked at a restaurant as a server in which one of my responsibilities was to sell and deliver alcohol to the patrons under my care.

I had options: remain working at the restaurant saying nothing and thus going against my conscience. Ask for a religious accommodation and if granted make extra work for my fellow servers. If accommodation was not given and they decided to fire me for my convictions, then I could sue the restaurant and at the very least retain my job, prove my point, and annoy everyone I worked with.

So you know what I did?

Wait for it…

I quit my job.

Why?

Because none of the options would have made Jesus better known or better loved.

Mrs. Davis I have absolutely zero problem with your conviction.

And I know you see this as a stand for Jesus. But as long as you are taking this stand, no one is actually talking to the rest of us Christians about Jesus, they are just talking about the “crazy” Christian in Kentucky that won’t issue a marriage license.

May the Holy Spirit grant us all the discernment to know when and HOW to stand for the God-given convictions we hold so dear.

And may our “stands” always increase the conversation about Jesus!

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