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What can you expect from Christians? ...

Friday, Jan 4, 2013. Recently I have been sitting in a meeting and we had one of these typical discussions: who should lead a particular group. We talked about two candidates, and discussed whom we should ask first to do it.

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Who does what? Reaction patterns …

In that particular situation, arguments came like: if you do not ask him or her, than they might feel untended. I said: can't we just talk to all of them and find a good solution in a discussion? How to deal with the expectations and sensitivity of the different people?

The discussion leads us into a very basic question. What can you expect from Christians? We know that Christians are told to love each other, even to love their enemies. But what does it mean? Does it mean there are no conflicts? No! Does it mean, that everyone is always easy going? No. Christians have the same type of character features than anyone else. You find rough characters and defensive characters, you find outgoing characters and shy people.

Often one argument against the church is that the Christians are just like everyone else. But I would rather say that it is an argument for the church. Christ invites ordinary people, we are just ordinary people, with our particular strength and weaknesses, with things we can do well, and things we cannot do. We are people with our very special character, each of us.

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Biblical guidance …

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In the middle of a conflict about leadership, Jesus talked to his disciples:

26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 26-28)

God puts us onto a special agenda. He gives us special goals. He asks us to start to transform our character into something which fits into his kingdom. We might be ordinary people, but we do not have an ordinary God. He guides us, he leads us, he is pulling us into his direction!

I like the biblical guidance very much. It is giving us full acceptance, the way we are. But it is not leaving us there, but it is giving our life a direction. It is initiating change. It is initiating growth, nurturing growth! We are learning to behave differently, to change the way we are with the help of the almighty God. You cannot expect Christians to be perfect, but you can expect them to be on a journey which has a fantastic goal to reach and a fantastic God to be with them. You can expect them to be moving into a heavenly direction! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts

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