Worthy, Chosen and Loved: God's Word and Condemnation Culture

Hey there, friends! Welcome back to Turning Heads Blog, an open space for women of faith to come together and delight in His truth. I invite you to tune in and join the community, where you can continue to find hope and inspiration on your spiritual journey.

Today I'm here to discuss something that holds a heavy rein in Christian society: the stigmas of Christianity. Many, unfortunately, hold true to their name.

We live in a society of condemnation culture. To quote Fr. Micah Hirschy, "We make ourselves champions of moral, political and religious issues. We divide ourselves along political lines, and we jump upon every chance to point our finger at those who do not agree with our views."

It's ugly, but it's the truth. Many who claim to follow and love God, simply because they show up to church every weekend, are quick to express their moral outrage on opposing views. They condemn celebrities for the clothes they wear. They damn politicians for the ideas they share. They even shame their own brothers and sisters in the church for what they perceive to be violations of the Lord's will. "My faith is better than yours," they seem to shout from the mountaintops. "You're doing it all wrong!"

This saddens me. To think that a faith so beautiful, a holy story of a king born in Bethlehem, risen from the dead, to bring hope and forgiveness to all, could be twisted to something so distant from its truth. Many are scared to join Christian society. They hear the condemnations. They hear the insults, the threats, the judgement. They hear it loud and clear. They consider the Bible, its rules and commands, and they face imposter syndrome in the church, plagued with the fear that they are already too far gone. "I am not enough," they say. "God could never love someone who lives a life like mine."

I'm here to remind you: above anything else, Jesus taught us love. He tells us to love our neighbor, for "...love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). He pleads for us to open our arms, to hold out our hand to one another, leading others to the faith and the pure, sweet honey of the endless love of the Lord.

Condemnation culture takes from the Bible, and it expands on God's word to point fingers, in blame and in hatred, at anyone who is different. Yet not only does God teach love, but he teaches forgiveness. Our God is a merciful God. He is a shepherd to the lost sheep, and He is a father to the fatherless. In my interpretation, He gave us his Bible for a reason. It is not a weapon. It is a manual - a book of wisdom on how to live this life. He gives us instruction, commands and rules for our own good and safety. If you mess up, He will accept you. You are just a human. You will mess up, and you will sin, for you can't help it - but God will be waiting with open arms for you to come back to Him.

Consider this: God instructs us not to have premarital sex. Why? It will create a soul tie, and make it even more painful for you when the breakup comes. God instructs us not to be lustful, greedy or selfish. Why? It will create a gluttonous heart. God instructs us not to kill, steal or lie. Why? It will create more problems down the road.

Any instruction that God makes in the Bible is for our own good. He looks out for us. He is not searching to condemn. The Lord wants to welcome us in with open arms. He is beckoning, calling out to His children to return to Him.

You are worthy, chosen, and loved. I pray that you choose not to conform to condemnation culture, instead choosing to find God's truth in your value and in His never ending grace, for His mercies are new each morning. I also pray that you find it in yourself to spread the love to someone in your life who needs it. Choose not to point fingers, judge or condemn. Stand upright in your morals, but don't push someone else down for theirs. Choose God. Choose yourself. Choose love.

Until next time <3.