Matthew 11:16-19 ESV But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.
What lifestyle has God called you to? Jesus and John the Baptist were both powerful men of God. Ok, Jesus was God, but also fully man. By all account God the Father was very pleased with both of these men. Yet they lived very different lives.
John was very counter-culture. He lived an austere life, eschewing the comforts of society. Jesus also spent much time in the wilderness, but He also was comfortable socializing and associating with a wide variety of people.
Sometimes Christians need to realize that other Christians can live very differently and still be living a life pleasing to God. There are truths that every Christian must live by, but there can be great variety in styles of living.
One of the reasons that Christians can be very intolerant of brothers and sisters who live differently is that they know God is pleased with their own lives. Possibly God has even called them to live a certain way. Remember though, just because God finds your way of living pleasing does not mean it is the ONLY way that pleases Him.
One thing that Jesus and John the Baptist shared was criticism. Despite their different lives, those who did not appreciate their message slandered them. We must live our life in a manner that God approves of. We must also realize that if God does approve, then the world will not. They will always find a way to slander us.
Lord, guide me so that I will live a life that pleases You. Keep me from judging my fellow believers. Let love guide my thoughts and my actions.