Simone Biles’s decision to withdraw from Olympic competition to protect her mental health was met with varied responses.
One can’t help but notice how many people who call themselves Christians were highly critical and down-right MEAN in their reaction.
Simone didn’t meet their expectations…
They feel Simone let her team and country down…
They feel she wasn’t tough enough.
Some of the same people who criticize her for ‘folding under pressure’ watch the world from their smart device or television while never stepping outside the safety of their own daily routines. Many of her critics are much older, yet they haven’t reached her level of accomplishment. And, many claim to be loving, kind-hearted, compassionate disciples of Christ.
We who call ourselves believers need to be careful as to how we define ‘TOUGH’.
If many Christians are honest with themselves, based on how they react to things that happen today…
Many Christians would have called Jesus a failure!
It has been speculated by many that one of the reasons Judas betrayed Jesus is because he didn’t meet his expectations of a deliverer.
Think of the behavior and accomplishments that so many people today consider to be STRENGTH and SUCCESS relative to the behavior that God says is evidence of His Spirit…
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
James 3:17 (NKJV)
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Matthew 5:39 (NKJV)
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Unfortunately, too many Christians today consider the above mentioned Godly attributes to be weakness.
Just as they say Simone Biles isn’t being tough enough…
Just as Judas turned on our Savior because he didn’t meet the expectations of a Messiah…
How many Christians, if they were living around 2,000 years ago would have concluded that Jesus…
Was a failure…
Let His followers down…
Wasn’t being tough enough…
Wasn’t what He claimed to be…
Our visceral reactions prove what is inside of us.
To be clear, I’m not judging you as a Christian. Examine your reactions. Examine yourself. Judge yourself.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you [a]are disqualified.
We prove where we would have stood in history by how we react today.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
BE BLESSTIFIED! 
Leave a Reply