_{by Trent - originally posted on October 25, 2005}

While I was yet an enemy of Christ, He reconciled me. His charity was manifest even more clearly toward the chief of sinners, the mass-murderers, the rapists, the molesters, and each of us can say that (while we may have not gone into the less acceptable sins) ... we have each been forgiven of MUCH.

Think about how short the event will be, when God's wrath will be revealed. There won't be any resistance, because His wrath is irresistible. And yet God is longsuffering until then ... accommodating every manner of ungodliness ... even my own ungodliness. Why does He put up with me? Why does He put up with you? Why does He put up with the ungodliness of the rebels? Why does He put up with the corruption within the Body of Christ? Even more so, He extends charity to all daily, though the only thing that He KNOWS is Godly within all of Creation is HIMSELF, by the infusion of His Spirit through Christ Jesus the Lord.

I'll tell you why it is that God puts up with it: Because it is Godly to do so.

If it is good enough that God, in this very moment, Who holds the universe together, to put up with THE father of lies, then howbeit that I winch and complain about putting up with my jerk neighbor. How do I justify fighting with those that God is not fighting? Shouldn't I, who can do far less for them then cause their existence, be compelled by God's charity to seek their highest good in a creative way?

I know, we should wait until they deserve our charity, right?

Then how long would we wait? How long would God have waited for us to be worthy?

So, I say this. Lets extend our most fervent love to those that we think deserve it least, as inspired by the love of God that came to us, rebels, and so crushed us to receive such charity when we warranted such wrath.

It may make no difference to them that we love with God's love, but it will make your heart leap for joy to minister to others in such a divine way.

If fighting your enemies, and actively thwarting gives you 30 pleasure-points for two weeks time. I am here to say that loving your enemy and being charitable to them will give you 3000 pleasure-points in the same two weeks time.

I wish someone would prove me wrong ... and then when finding charity so horrible, they choose to go back to fighting. Even still it only cost them 2 weeks to try, and that is not asking much.

Where fellowship is impossible, there can still be peacefulness as far is it is concerned with myself. My encouragement is for brothers and sisters to become an agent of freedom, and an agent of peace ... and see if this does not suit you more then war, griping, complaining, and manipulation.

I think that the road of unrighteousness is a tough road ... so, for as many as are sick of the bumps and bruises along that road ... I suggest this off-ramp - an offramp that resembles Jesus' sermon about offering a gift-wrapped coat to those that would sue you for your shirt.

My suggestion? Lets go find the one we wish would go away, and creatively share the love that God has spread abroad in our hearts. God will continue to accommodating them anyway, but we might miss out on a blessing if we don't.

• "Oneness, not Sameness"
• Do Christians Know the Way?
• The church needs more New Testament miracles
• For years, I had tried to earn my share of God's love.
• The opposite of love