Us or Them

“Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:32 TNIV

Have you ever thought to yourself “they deserve it” or better yet, “they had it coming to them”? That kind of thinking is the opposite of compassion and praying for those who persecute you. It falls right in line with what Paul was writing in his letter to the Christians in Rome.

For us to know the words of Jesus and yet NOT do them and on top of that “approve of those who” do not do them or worse yet, condemn those who do not do them, Paul’s words should spin us in a dance of conviction. Are Paul’s words not for you and I? Or were they only for those silly Roman Christians in the First Century? To those who have ears…

Truth be known, we don’t deserve anything. Whether it is the grace of God or the consequences of our poor decisions. Albeit they are on opposite ends of the spectrum, when we drift toward believing in either one of these thought processes we need to know that God will let us drift – “God gave them up…” We, humans, create an “us or them” mentality.

It’s like a twisted version of turning the other cheek. This “us or them” mentality feeds a thought process that is impervious or cold about someone’s pain or failing. When we begin to think “they deserve it”, we end up running from a person and their suffering rather than, like Jesus, meeting them in their pain, failing and/or suffering.

As soon as we create an “us or them” mentality, we should immediately begin praying for the “them”. Practice this. If you begin to think negatively about someone (or “them”), begin to pray that God would bless “them”. Create “us” rather than “them”. Build Kingdom, build community in the Spirit, not death. Division is death. Unity or community is Life (Kingdom). God through His Son Jesus has given us His Spirit that can build community just as much in the physical life as in the Spiritual life. Embrace this as a reality in your prayer life.

Bitter, negative, behind-the-scenes thinking about a person builds walls for a kingdom other than God’s. These false walls – the “us or them” mentality - are more difficult to tear down once they are constructed. However, when we choose compassion and prayer for one another in the Spirit, we are assisting (or co-laboring with) God in the building of His Kingdom; building an “us” mentality.

So, when you detect your mind thinking “ they deserve it” or “they had it coming to them” add on to those statements “and so do I”. For when we begin to intentionally enter into another person’s pain or failing with compassion and prayer – our life (with the assistance of the Spirit) brings Life. It creates unity in “us”. In turn, building Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven for all of “us”.