<\/a>We are in the middle of an election cycle, so let the war of words begin. Years ago, it would be a \u201cwar of ideas\u201d being waged between candidates, but in today\u2019s political climate, it\u2019s all about words. You know the drill, television ads with quotes from one of the candidates splashed on the screen, or a snippet of video showing a candidate saying something most voters would find offensive or negative.The problem is, these quotes, snippets and sound bites are almost always taken out of context and edited in such a way as to make the candidate in question look bad. Words can be edited, twisted and misrepresented to the point that they paint a completely inaccurate portrait of the person saying them.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t just happen in politics. Have you ever had someone twist your words? Has anyone ever misrepresented something you said? How did it make you feel? Angry? Upset? Disappointed? Sad? Words hurt, especially when they are lies or half-truths said to tarnish a person\u2019s reputation and respectability.<\/p>\n

In thinking about this topic, I couldn\u2019t help thinking about God and how, daily, He faces an onslaught of accusations, blame, and misrepresentations. The world blames him for bad things happening. You hear things like, \u201cWhere\u2019s God? Why did He let this happen? A loving God wouldn\u2019t do this.\u201d when some horrible tragedy occurs, like 9\/11 for example. While this is awful to hear, and I\u2019m sure it hurts God\u2019s heart, it comes from people who don\u2019t truly know Him, so it can be understood. What really breaks God\u2019s heart is when He is misrepresented or His Word is twisted by those He calls His own.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d you say. \u201cI would never do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

God just shakes His head in sorrow and says, \u201cBut my child, you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can this be? Followers of God would never say anything that would discredit Him. Well, at least we wouldn\u2019t do it intentionally. The truth is that what the world knows about God, about Jesus, they learn from watching His followers – you and me. So, when someone murders an abortion provider, people see God as a murderer full of hate. When the news shows people from a church hurling slurs and holding offensive signs at a military funeral, they see God as intolerant and lacking compassion. And when they see sexual abuse at the hands of so-called men of God, they see God as a monster.<\/p>\n

As Christians, we say that isn\u2019t who God is, those are the acts of humans who are failing to live up to who God calls them to be. That may be correct, but the world at large doesn\u2019t see the distinction. I have said many times in my classes, that we need to be aware that for some people, we might be the only Bible they ever read. Everything we do and say, reflects on Christ. If we act out in anger, they think God must be an angry God. If we won\u2019t forgive someone a wrong they\u2019ve done, they conclude that God won\u2019t forgive them either. If we lie, God is a liar and therefore there is no truth. We carry the name Christian, therefore we are Christ\u2019s representation to those around us. If we use our words to tear\u00a0 down others, negatively influence a person\u2019s reputation, or to judge, then that will be who they think Christ is.<\/p>\n

So I ask again, have you ever misrepresented God or His Word? Have you twisted His Word and used it as a tool of judgment? The world does enough of that without our help. God has called us to live as Jesus did and to love as Jesus loves. We need to examine ourselves – our words, our actions, and our attitudes – and ask God\u2019s forgiveness for the hurt we have caused Him and His Name. It\u2019s time for those of us who call ourselves Christians to live our lives as accurate representations of Jesus Christ. Let\u2019s show the world who Jesus really is, one person at a time – the world doesn\u2019t know it yet, but He is just what it needs.<\/p>\n