There’s going to be strife in this world. God says so.

We’re going to experience pain, frustration, conflict, suffering, and persecution. God says so.

We need to live by his standards no matter what. God says so.

So, can we please stop saying to those who aren’t Christians, “You respond ________, so if I do the same, don’t judge me for it!”?

We’ve all seen posts and tweets and heard comments about the unfair difference between how the media responds to a Christian athlete sharing his faith and a gay athlete sharing his sexuality. We’ve seen posts and tweets and heard comments  bashing authority because of decisions and uniting to claim and uphold our “rights.” We’ve seen condemnations of whole religious groups based on the destructive behavior of a few while isolating ourselves from the few “way out there” individuals associated with our own religious groups.

None of these issues are new. Before you rationalize that you wouldn’t do such a thing or how justified your particular response is because of the special circumstances, consider how often we enter a fight intended to be fought on biblical terms but, because others don’t seem to be fighting on biblical terms, we declare the fight unfair. We’re told to find common ground, so we do…but it’s not what God intends by common ground. Just hold onto the issue, but we rationalize it’s okay to fight with a different process.

God always says to fight his way.

To be honest, the fight isn’t fair. Yet even when it seems we’re at a disadvantage (underfunded, undermanned, undersupported, overly misunderstood, unfairly singled-out and targeted), we need to remember that God wins…despite human laws and individual choices, including ours. We can argue the fight isn’t fair, but we’re wise to take a broader perspective before making that claim as an underdog.

We are supposed to live differently. God says so.

We don’t fight fire with fire. We cannot fight God’s fight by anything other than biblical means, which means we don’t distort his will, misuse his weapons, or misapply or isolate Scripture to use to slap someone while ignoring verses that will convict us. It’s okay to point out logical fallacies, but do it Jesus’ way. Ask questions to help people explore where they are and why. Listen. Hear. Let God take people on the process of restoration. Saving others isn’t your job. Only Jesus is the Savior. Follow him and trust him to use your faith, weaving it into his perfect will.

It’s not our job to vindicate. We don’t need to declare, “God will get you.” Ever. We don’t need to quickly lash out on Facebook and Twitter and feel justified by others’ supportive posts yet avoid having the tough conversation with someone who diametrically opposes us. It’s easier to attack a bunch of people we’ve tightly tied together than seek and build individual relationships with people and wrestle through what it means to show God’s respect and love in tangible ways. The assumptions go both ways. The weight of understanding and compassion falls on us. God says so.

Are you using force and judgment reserved for God? Are you lacking the mercy, grace, and love God intends you to overflow onto others? Or have you cut off the source of his mercy, grace, and love, trying to live by it in your own strength instead of relying on him for everything you need, including timing and instruction for response in every situation?

Instead of justifying how you respond, let God say so.

We get defensive. We say we’re getting defensive on God’s behalf, but are we, really? Defensiveness is carrying an offense or burden that isn’t personally ours. If we’re getting defensive on God’s behalf, we must trust him to lead us to respond as he wants…not as we want or as someone else we admire wants.

Let’s not get lazy. Let’s not assume we always know exactly what God wants in every situation. Keep searching. God never changes, but he changes us as we grow in faith. Don’t let your faith be thwarted by a self-centered perspective. Check with God before you assume or respond. Always be alert. God says so.

(Just for the record, I’ve done all the things I’m pointing out as what not to do. Every bit of it. I’m wrestling through it and am committed to stay close to God through the process.)