Forgive me for offending you. But to make my point, I'm afraid I must offend some.
It is a well-established fact that I cannot stand the taste of creamed corn. The truth is, after one bite, I honestly begin gagging. I wish it were not so…but it is. (See—now I've gone and done it–offended all the creamed corn lovers out there. My apologies).
At a recent Christmas party, I turned down someone's prized recipe for creamed corn and was entreated with a familiar line: “If you'd just try it…..I think you'd like it.” Trust me—ain't gonna happen. And it’s not like I “tried” to whip up some awful hatred for creamed corn. What could be more American than corn? I just honestly, sincerely, don't like creamed corn.
In the same way, I think we Christ followers sometimes miss the mark when sharing Christ with the people around us. We logically assume that in a culture that reveres experience over just about anything, it's a powerful argument to say, “Just try Jesus.”
For some people, that simple invitation may indeed be the tool the Holy Spirit uses to redeem a life. But an increasing number of people have a built-in distaste for a faith of any kind.
Just like my strong aversion to creamed corn, there are people who simply can't stand the notion of surrendering their life to Christ. [All the pleasant language in the world about a King who longs to make right a world that's gone terribly wrong makes no difference to these folks.]
Does that mean “End of story….let's pack up and go home.”? No! It just means that these people will need something else: the powerful evidence of life change in US.
If you were to do a life inventory, how much change could you—would you—honestly claim for this last year? Are you and I tangibly more like Christ today than last January? What will ultimately win hearts and minds, as Colossians 1:27 eloquently states, is “Christ in you—the hope of glory”–not fancy speech.
Christ in you. And in me. Now THAT's a taste we can ALL agree on.