I tend to poke the bear when I write. I know I do.

I’ve been muted and unfollowed and unfriended by countless acquaintances and also, sadly, by people I love.

And I’ve asked myself what I’m doing wrong. And then when I think carefully through what I write, and why I write, I find nothing to be ashamed of.

The only conclusion I can come to is that when you’re not in face-to-face relationship with people, it’s easy to turn off what offends you. In just the press of a button, you can make sure you’re surrounded only by assenting opinions. That’s not real life, but it’s real enough to make people feel safe from what could otherwise challenge their way of thinking.

So when I write about Scriptural truths that apply to everyday life, and people get hacked off and indignant, they are not actually rejecting me. It’s not my opinions they’re mad at! I’m only relaying what I see written in the Bible!

What they are actually rejecting is the word of God.

Some people, even those who would claim to follow Christ, have gotten caught in the trap of thinking Christianity is supposed to be “nice”, and that stepping on peoples’ toes is to be avoided at all costs. They think they can divorce Jesus from that mean old God of the Old Testament who wiped out evil and perverse civilizations in their entirety. The problem with this way of thinking is that it doesn’t line up with Scripture at all.

Jesus has been at God’s side since forever, in perfect harmony and submission to the Father’s will. It was this “mean” old God who loved us enough to send Jesus to die on the cross in our place; to provide a means of escape from the very real and sure judgment that even now awaits all who die in rebellion to him.

Even now, some of you may be making a face. Who am I to be saying these types of things?

I’m just someone that actually believes the Bible and also in God himself:, the triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who live and move and have authority over every thing that has ever been made, including the person reading this blog.

If you are not a Christian, I’m glad you are here, because your lack of belief doesn’t make God any less true, and while you are still breathing there is opportunity for you to turn to him and be saved.

If you are a Christian and you’re offended by truth, I’d say it might be time to ask yourself if you actually believe in the God of the Bible or if you’ve fashioned a god for yourself that aligns more closely with the way you think.

And then I pray you’d realize that your politically correct, tolerant, healthy-wealthy-happy, winks at sin, milquetoast millennial God doesn’t exist.

But the God of the Bible does. And one day we will each stand in front of him.

He will either see us as we are, full of sin and pride, or he will see us clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ.

The choice is yours.

I’m not going to say it doesn’t hurt to be laughed at, mocked, or have people think poorly of me. But I (obviously) don’t write because it makes me popular. It’s not about me.

I write because I know the love and mercy of God, and the fullness of life lived his way.

I write because people I love are headed towards destruction.

I do pray you’d see my heart. But even more, a thousand times more, I pray you’d see his.

Angela