Matthew 5:14-16:
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Last time I mentioned this verse but I didn't really have time to talk about it. Obviously, it can clearly apply to any religion or any practice, I suppose. Anyway, the thing Andy Stanley said that really stood out to me is that people may have a hard time joining you even though they see what you are doing. Basically, it is easier said than done. BUT he said you may cause people to think (in his case referring to Christians), "I don't know if I want to be one, but I want to be friends with one." or, "I don't know if I want to be one, but I want my daughter to marry one."
Think about that for a minute.
It's true, right? As someone who was not raised Baha'i, I can see both sides. Part of me thinks, "How could you not become Baha'i?" because it is clearly so right to me. But on the other hand, I can definitely see how it is a difficult decision that requires a lot of effort and hard work. So I suppose I can see someone not wanting to become Baha'i even if they hold most of the same beliefs.
At the same time, I look around at all of the Baha'is I have met and see what genuine, loving, kind-hearted people they are. That observation alone played a part in my decision to become Baha'i because I could see God in them and I wanted to have that too. So even if you think that maybe you aren't willing to make that commitment for yourself, wouldn't you want someone like that in your life? Whether as a friend or a spouse or a spouse for your children? I think I would. This is what Andy Stanley was saying, I think.
(If you're reading this and you don't know any Baha'is, you may not understand what I'm talking about. But that's okay. I encourage you to do some research into the Faith and explore it on your own even if you have no interested in becoming Baha'i. That's how I started.)
Baha'u'llah said:
A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.
This is, to me, one of the most beautiful quotes, and it is exactly what I am talking about. (Lodestone means magnet in case you weren't sure.) It means that a kindly tongue (no gossip/backbiting, just generally being kind) attracts people at their very core. I don't think that could be more true. While Andy Stanley was not referring to Bahai's, the similarity between the Matthew verses and Baha'u'llah's words serve as just another example of the continuity of religions.
If you are interested, I recommend you watch Andy's entire message. It is online here. I might go back and watch it again myself. One of his main questions throughout the message was this: Are you making a point or are you making a difference? That question is so important. As he says, it is easy to make a point. Pushing your morals and beliefs in people's faces is easy to do, but that does not mean you are making a difference in their hearts. He is much more articulate than I am, so go watch. :)
PS- I recommend watching as many of his messages (and the other ones from North Point that aren't him speaking) as you can. I love the way he (and the others) take verses and relate it to life rather than just "preaching." I think that is so important and I think that Andy has learned how to make a difference in people's lives rather than just a point- just as he was talking about.
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