What Should Be Our .....

...... Attitude Towards Foreign People Who Are Coming To Live Amongst Us?

A clear distinction needs to be made between a foreign "refugee" and a foreign "immigrant."

In this thread, I define a foreign refugee as does Webster's New World College Dictionary does: "a person who flees from home or country to seek refuge elsewhere, as in a time of war or of political or religious persecution."

OTOH, a foreign immigrant is a person who merely moves to another location in order to settle there.

As you can see an immigrant does not = a refugee even though both "ain't from these here parts."

In my particular region, Middle TN, you will find both groups, and at first glance you probably could not immediately tell if he/she is a refugee or an immigrant----I know that I can't

BUT, in reality, BOTH need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

BOTH need to respond to that Gospel in the manner that Jesus COMMANDED in Matthew 11:28-30 ---- "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I AM humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and he burden I give you is light."

"But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?" (Romans 10:14)

Isn't that how all of us came to receive Christ as our Savior? SOMEONE told us about our need for Christ as the ONLY way to have a saving relationship with God the Father. Who that person might have been, and the circumstance(s) that led up to our salvation will, of course, vary, but the fact remains that SOMEONE had to tell each and every one of us why we needed to trust Jesus Christ as Savior.

My point is this: Instead of hating the fact that there are both refugees and/or immigrants coming to our neighborhood, instead of wishing they'd go away, instead of suspecting that family is a potential terrorist bent on killing you and your family, why not pray for their salvation? Why not seek them out to befriend them---doing what you can to help meet a physical need that they have? Why not try to build a relationship with them such that they might see in you that you're different than the vast majority of folks with whom they've met here in this "Land of the Free, and the home of the Brave"? Why not live your life in such a way that they notice that you've got a hope that they do not have?

If you do these things in a consistent way [NOT saying an absolutely 110+% perfect 24/7/365 way.] maybe, just maybe, that person might allow you to tell them of the One upon whom your hope is built.

That's my goal.

Yes, I oftentimes fall miserably in doing what the Holy Spirit would want me to do in this aspect of my life, but that's why I praise the One who created me that He is so forgiving----so much more forgiving a God than I deserve Him to be.

That's one reason I can rejoice that there is this verse in His Holy Word: "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." ---- Galatians 6:9.

Selah.