CHURCH STUFF
“For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may
not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts
of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” 1 Cor. 12:20
Have you ever felt like people are talking about you behind your back? How about your
very own church family? Often times, we have to face our own brothers and sisters
knowing that they have something against us. Sure the church should be a safe haven but
we must realize that the church is for sinners, not the perfect.
How many times have we heard someone say, “I’m not going to church? There are a
bunch of hypocrites there.”? The fact is that we are all sinners growing to perfection.
From time to time we will witness a member fall back into a sinful habit, gossip about
another member and get angry with another. Some may think that they are better than
others. Some may take pride in the office that they hold. Many are just playing church,
club meeting, following the crowd and pointing the finger at others when they are outside
of “that” norm. We must look past the ignorance and sinful, mean and evil nature of
others, follow God’s leading prayerfully, pray for those who hurt us and down us and
continue to do God’s will with His help in the midst of the mess.
The bigger the church, the more strife and problems, when it should be the bigger the
church, the more loving sacrificing work done for the Lord. The Bible clearly charges the
leaders of the church to work diligently in the up building of the kingdom of God. I am
referring to all church officers. But instead, often you will find the church to be a club or
one big click. Sitting around discussing who is doing what wrong or what they think to be
wrong. When Christ is the only judge especially of His people.
Often times this is Satan’s ploy and his plan of action especially when one is making an
attempt to return to the fold or begin attending for the first time. He uses members of the
church to discourage, harass and ultimately find a way to either get the new attendee, new
member or former member to leave or get caught up in the evil too.
If you or you know someone who is struggling with past experiences or current and they
are having a difficult time with church fellowship, share that Christ is the foundation of
the church and He came to save sinners. Let’s keep our focus on Christ. We must pray
for others and love others as Christ does. Find the good in everything. Including the
church and its members for Christ said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18
So let’s look past the negative and focus on the positive for Christ promised victory for
His church!