2: to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences ; especially : to distinguish from another like object
1 a: to make a distinction
2: to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit
I don't know why it is when I have a thought and I think it's profound and then it's affirmed somewhere else I get so excited. This happened this past week while reading the book, Vintage Jesus, by Mark Driscoll. Driscoll is a pastor of a church in the Seattle area and a friend recently turned me on to him. I link to his blog in my favorites.
I have often said that will all the talk about discrimination and how bad it is that we all discriminate in some form every day. Now granted, we mostly hear about discrimination when it comes to race and I'm not condoning that, but Driscoll in his book says that discrimination in and of itself is not such a bad thing, but often it becomes sinfully applied. His reference is to John 14:6 where Jesus says, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Part of the definition of discriminate is discernment or good judgment. We need to discriminate every day. A few questions to ponder. If a stranger was to come to your door and ask to come in would you let him? When you have a dinner party do you make sure your guest list is perfectly balanced by gender and race? If your 15-year-old daughter had a date pull up in a Porsche convertible would you let her go out with him?
The answer to these questions is probably no. Does that mean you're discriminating against people that drive nice cars and you hate strangers? Again, no because you are using good judgment and safety issues could be involved.
Here's where my view is probably a lot different than the world's. I believe God's clear distinction in the human race is that He has made us male and female. While there may be different cultural distinctions between races and sexual orientations, I see the gender difference as being clear.
Though men and women are both loved equally by Him, we are not the same. After 21 years of marriage and living with a teenage daughter, I know full well men and women don't speak the same, we don't think the same and we don't act the same. Neither is better than the other, just different.
My wife recently came back from a conference at the Honda Center called, "Women of Faith." There was probably 15,000 women in attendance because it was an event geared towards women. Were they discriminating, male-hating women because they didn't invite men? No, because it was geared for the target audience of women just as Promise Keepers is geared towards men. Now if these conferences didn't allow hispanic or African-Americans that would be a different story.
I sometimes play golf with a friend at local club that is for men only. This is a little tougher? Is this discrimination? I still say no, although a club that I couldn't bring my wife to play would not be one that I would want to join. Now a golf club is a business and I would fully support if someone wanted to open a golf club for women only.
My point here is we all need to show good judgment and discriminate in our choices and selections. We need to be careful in how we make them and that they are not based on any pre-conceived notion or stereotype. I believe safety is always a concern and we know we have to answer to the Lord for our judgements.
What about God and Christians? We always hear that we're narrow-minded and discriminating because we believe Jesus is the only way to God. When it comes to answering our critics a proper response would be that since God allows us to pick and choose who we hang out with and invite into our homes why can He not have the same luxury?
When our doorbell rings we don't usually let someone in who doesn't know the owner. It's our house and don't we make the rules? I think anything less for God in deciding who comes into heaven is a little selfish on our parts. But hear is the kicker that shows that God is anything, but discriminating.
He sends his invitation to come into His home to everyone. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, black, white or Hispanic, marital status or if your gay or straight. If we acknowledge the Owner of the Kingdom and repent of our sins we can all come in and join the celebration. I don't think that would fly in our homes if someone came to the door and said they knew who you were and really liked you and would you let them in now?
May we all discriminate with the proper discernment and remember that God is more inclusive that any organization or club could ever be. He loves everyone and He wants us all to know His Son, the One that will bring us all into His glorious presence.
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