Is this Where You Come to Play Your Rock ‘n’ Roll?

And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God.” 1 Samuel 29:9

Last night, as my wife and I were discussing today’s blog, she shared the following memory from her teenage years. In the story, she and her friends were at a local pizza joint, playing the juke box, when a man from her church approached and berated her. Is this where you come to play your rock ‘n’ roll music? She was the pastor’s daughter, and this gentleman didn’t approve of her presence in that establishment. Never mind that he was in the same establishment, listening to the same music – He felt he was doing God’s work when he publicly scolded her, embarrassing her in front of her friends. Even though he was rude and condescending, he believed that he was doing God’s will.

To follow Christ is to live in such a way that will often be at odds with the world. James, brother of Jesus, said as much. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4)? As followers of Christ, it’s tempting to think that Christians must establish a venomous relationship with anyone who doesn’t believe. In this mindset, the Christian sees everyone and everything outside the church as his (or her) enemy and acts accordingly. I must hate you for God. This Christian worries that kindness towards the unbeliever will be interpreted as approval and so, he goes out of his way to be disapproving of everything and everyone.

It is, however, a gross misinterpretation to selectively take one verse from the Bible and conclude that God wants us to be hateful for him. In Galatians, Paul describes the life of the one filled with God’s spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). To live like Christ, embracing kindness, love, and gentleness, is to live in such a way that may be unusual, but is not offensive. Daily, I pray that my life would be defined by these qualities and that my behavior would draw others to Christ, not turn them from him.

Though he lived long before Jesus, this is the life modeled by David in today’s passage. Fleeing from King Saul’s efforts to kill him, David lived for some time with the Philistines, Israel’s sworn enemies. While living with them though, he behaved in such a way that the king could find no fault in him. His behavior was a testament to God and his life served as a beacon, pointing others to his faith.

That’s how I’d like to live. I don’t strive to be a people-pleaser, but I’d like my life to bear the fruit of God’s spirit in me, modeling love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Daily, I pray that my behavior would point others to God, not drive them away from him.