Amazing grace how sweet the sound!!!

I read an interesting article this morning that a friend posted on facebook, it's from Ricky Gervais  about why he's an athiest Here is a link if you want to read the whole article. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/12/19/a-holiday-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-atheist/

Now I believe wholeheartedly in God but I can see why some people wouldn't, because as Gervais puts it rather eloquently, religion has been used as a "stick to beat people with". I am not a fan of 'religion' at all. I remember in high school my modern history teacher was an athiest because of all the wars and atrocities committed throughout history in the name of religion, something which sadly still happens. Think of protestants and catholics in Ireland, or the 'lord's resistance army' in Uganda. Wiping out Indigenous people who wouldn't convert to a civilised christianity was a sad fact of colonialism, so I don't blame my history teacher for not wanting anything to do with God if that's what He's about. But all too often religion actually has nothing to do with God at all. Oh how is must greive the Creator of the world to see how we have represented Him and taken up our own causes in His name!

 I've been just as guilty of this recently. I haven't started a war or killed anybody, but I have been hurtful to a friend because our beliefs differered. When she questioned everything I believed in I got offended and reacted in a way that I'm sure very much grieved my God. I was defensive and argumentative and at times downright nasty and I am totally ashamed of myself. My position on what I believe hasn't changed, but I expected grace from her to allow me to walk my journey in peace without offering that same grace to her for her journey. I have become guilty of using my religion as a stick to beat someone with and that grieves my heart.

The God that I worship and devote my life to is a God of love and grace and I so desire to become more like Him, but all too often I just totally miss the mark. I have many friends who do not share my beliefs, athiests, Muslims, a Jehovah's witness and various denominations of 'christian' who have varying ideas about things and we all think we're right, so I need to apply some Biblical wisom here from Romans12:18 "if it is posible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." It is not my job to decide who is right or wrong, the part that I am responsible for, the part that "depends on (me)" is how I treat people and for that God asks me to show love. So here I am journeying along, admitting I have stuffed up, and thankful that the grace I sometimes forget to show others, is always amazingly shown to me by the God I serve and love!