door mat?

A dear friend asked me if Christians were supposed to be door mats.
Short answer= no.

They said, Jeff when I think of the last two weeks of sermons, this is my message: lay down your books. Keep no record of wrongs. Forgive. And then help the broken, be the good Samaritan.

In a way, it all sounds like I should be a door mat.

Well, ok. But, no.

We do need to forgive, but that does not mean that you have to hang with those people anymore. Forgiveness means to let go of the offense. It does not mean that you have to spend thanksgiving with them. Forgiveness does not mean that you stay married to someone who beats you. You forgive them and move on to healthy living.

Helping the poor. Yes we should. More than we do. However, you still must provide for your own. Don't sell your house and give everything away, leaving your children to starve. Don't do that. But for most of us, that is not the issue....the issue is that we can do so much more. And there is joy in doing the more. There is joy in giving one's self away. You will know when it is too much.....but we have to stop trying to find joy by accumulating things and realize that joy comes when we give ourselves away.

You are not a door mat. Jesus challenged the pharisees. He turned over the tables of the money changers. But he also helped a ton of poor folks and he kept no record of wrongs.

It's a beautiful day in God's world. Be sure to see the good.