I recently caught part of an episode of Dog The Bounty Hunter and it made me think about a couple things. First a little background: Dog is apparently a professing Christian as it has been noted by some evangelicals. So when I saw him and his crew completely overreact while pursuing a guy with a warrant out for him I was a little dissapointed.
I was most saddened by a line I've used and thought far too many times myself, "lucky for you I'm a changed man, or I would have ^&#%ing ripped you apart". And I asked him, as I have asked myself, 'is that the supposed changed man saying that?'. I was saddened to see my own level of Christian living on television for everyone to see.
Something about that whole scene isn't right. I don't claim to be a pacifist, and I don't endorse it in it's extreme forms, but I can't say that kind of behavior, attitude and language is in line with the example Jesus set for us.
I can't count the number of times I've thought or said the same thing..."lucky for you I'm a Christian you @#$%!" That doesn't sound like something a Christian should be saying does it?! It's one thing to remain masculine and another to completely react as a man without the love of the Father in him.
If this is the best a Christian man can be, I don't consider that to be much of a change at all. This man is no better than a moral atheist. What real change is there when all we have that separates us from a violent man is some restraint?
I have found when this is the man I am, I am no longer depending on the new nature in me, the nature given through Christ, I am resigning myself to my old life. What kind of example do I set when I tell someone "if I wasn't a Christian, I would kick your ass!" Is there a heart change in there? I don't think so. So I need to humble myself again and realize I have not the strength to be who I can be, not without Christ.
It's amazing how difficult it can be to do nothing....to remain on your knees. I make it so difficult. It's funny how quick we can be to rise and defend or attack.
"Put away wrath, malice and evil speaking"
