Get Your Mind (out of the pew and ) Into The Gutter - Part Three

WHAT'S "THE GUTTER"?

I don't want anyone to think that my version of "the gutter" is synonymous with the traditional meaning behind "get your mind out of the gutter".
When I talk about the gutter, I'm talking about anything that is different or off the beaten track from your life.
If you are a church goer and your whole life is consumed with church activities, church people, Christian books and movies and TV shows, anything.....anything outside of those comfortable places could be "the gutter" for you.

Like I said previously, just handing out candy to "trick-or-treaters" on Halloween was stepping outside of my comfort zone for me.
For some people spending time with your non-church going neighbors at a barbecue may be stepping off of your normal path and into a place that is foreign and a little bit scary.
One thing that is important is that you don't do these things just to "seal the deal".
"Get 'em saved."
"Make 'em change!"
There is an attitude amongst some Christians (and I'm sorry to say MANY Christians I know) that we are better than them.
The "them and us" thinking is NOT pretty. Actually I find it rather ugly.
How would you feel if you found out that someone was trying to be your friend so that they could make a replica of themselves.....spending time with you so that you'll become just like them? You've discovered that they don't really like who you are and feel that you need to be someone better.....more like...them.
Personally, they wouldn't be my friend too much longer. And I certainly wouldn't want to go to their church!
But isn't that what we are doing when we make friends with people just to see them "saved"?

These people aren't "bad". They were, like you and me, created in God's image. They just live a life that may (or may not) be a bit different than ours. The "gutter" I speak of isn't "bad". It's the "unknown". It's a place you haven't been to. A place you don't frequent. That doesn't make it bad, it just makes it different.

As you're reading this, is there a place that is "the gutter" for you? It could be anywhere from a neighbor's backyard to a local shelter. Maybe God wants you to reach outside of yourself and serve at a local food pantry. Maybe God wants you to go to the library and read to children. Or like me, maybe it's time to stop hiding on Halloween and go out and meet the neighborhood.

The important thing is to go without an ulterior motive of changing anyone. Only God knows a person's heart and only God can change them. Let Him do that. We just need to love them. If there's any changing that needs done, He can handle it.