Access

The past couple of mornings I've had trouble motivating myself to read my scriptures. Maybe I've been feelings tired, maybe I've been feelings lazy - most likely a combination of the two. Imagine how I felt when I opened this topic to find only two scriptures. Pretty lousy - but moving forward!

I've put some thought into how other people view Christians - motivated by a few instances. One was that there are signs around for a local Christian group addressing the negative interactions people have had with Christians. Another last night when a neighbor got upset at a friend that had parked in our parking lot for a Sunday night get together. I know it would be silly for that neighbor to associate her negative feelings about one less parking spot for a couple of hours with the fact that we're Christians, but I know that it happens. What is more important, is the negative feelings people associate with Christians because of actual negative things Christians have done. Sometimes Christians have to be more outspoken, but I think if we focused a bit more on living and rejoicing in Christ's message, then there would be fewer real reasons for people to think ill of us. I like how Romans 5:2 says it:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.