In this episode:

How do we move forward in a culture where we disagree, where we are deeply discouraged, and where tension is off the charts? We have choice in how we contribute to conversations and in how we adjust our own attitudes. Also, you don't want to miss this week's resource that asks the question: what if Jesus was serious in what he taught?

(Article contains affiliate links. This means that when you click a link and make a purchase, I might receive a small commission from that purchase.) Inspired Life What renovating are were going to need to work on in the coming months? I recorded this episode on the night before the election because I didn't want my words tainted by any results. Stay with me. This is NOT about politics or about the election. Are you sick of that too? What I’m going to talk about today is the way we repurpose and renovate after things get ugly. How we move forward from something that has a lot of tension involved. No matter how we look at it, this year has been one of struggle, challenges, situations that make us question humanity, circumstances that break down. Messed up situations. And the reason this is on my mind when I write this is that I don’t think election day is going to be our most beautiful day. So when Thursday comes and this episode airs, I want to be prepared with a plan to move forward. I don’t know if the person I voted for will win the election. I don’t know if the people I know will be happy about the candidate the wins. Will family holidays be tainted yet by conversations laced with venom and harsh words? Or will they be sweetened by kindness and love, filled with patience, and abundant with grace? I don’t know. And because I don’t know the outcome of the election, I can’t slant this episode in any way to sound as if I’m talking at my listeners. I’m doing this to remind myself of what it means to live out Colossians 4:6: Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Some days I want to melt into a puddle of tears because my heart breaks for how it must be for people who are teetering in their faith to observe people who carry the name of Christian and who don’t speak like Christ would. If there are doubts about God’s love and grace, the behavior of his kids aren’t going to help to ease those doubts. Saying ugly things or spewing hate in the name of Jesus is like dressing up in a stage costume and pretending to love Jesus. That’s why he called some of the religious people hypocrites – play actors. Merriam-Webster says the word hypocrite ultimately came into English from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an actor” or “a stage player. I would know, because I’ve been one. I'm in the process of shedding that identity. Peeling off the costume is painful. Looking in the mirror without it can be nauseating. We can’t go back and change. But we can move forward.

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