I am tired of these rusty gates?
I’m kinda tired of Church. I’m kinda tired of Christians. It seems like every time I turn around
someone that claims to follow Christ is talking bad about someone else. It seems like every time I turn around I am
talking bad about someone else. It seems
like my whole community has gotten lost somewhere in between hell and the Holy
Spirit. What ever happened to building
up in truth? Loving your neighbor as
yourself has seemed to be the last thing on our minds these days. Instead we are walking around like a bunch of
rusty
gates. Oh, and don’t forget, I am
one of those people as well.
All of the hatred and malice that
gets passed around the Church is terribly depressing. One doesn’t have to wait very long before you
find someone in the Church that has a bone to pick. From the beginning there have been problems
in the Church. Don’t believe me? What is 1 & 2 Corinthians about? Galatians?
Colossians? Philemon? All of these books are helpful in correcting
problems that the Church was having at the time. Many of them suggest living in peace, and
loving one another. There is correction
going on, but it is not in the form of hateful words and blame. I would say that it clearly builds the body
of believers up in truth and righteousness. If that is true, then why does it
seem that we cannot also do the same?! What happens to the words between the
time that the Church goer hears them and the next words that come out of their
own mouth?
It seems to me that we expect
Christians to automatically be perfect as soon as they are saved. We put up with lots of poor actions from the
world, but the instant our proclaimed Christians friends do something that
offends you, the world is going to end.
You gotta raise your voice and call them out! Stomp your foot down and tell them that they
did something wrong! Don’t they know the
bible tells them that they should be a better person?!
Maybe correction is in order, but
you might want to consider non-believers first, other believers second and
yourself last. Imagine if a non-believer
was involved in your disagreement in the Church. Would they still see the Church, the body of
Christ, as something good to be involved with?
Would they still be amazed at the love you have for one another? Or would they see Church as a place where
everyone is a hypocrite and hates one another?
At least down at the bar everyone knows their name and is happy to see
them.
It reminds me of the Cheers theme song.
Sometimes
you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.
If you don’t know the old
television show Cheers, it is a TV
series that takes place in a bar, and it is a pretty good show for the most
part. Everyone on Cheers seems to like each other and help each other through their
problems. They are good natured in their
jokes, and get along as well as any Church I have been to. I think of Cheers when I think of a Church that I want to be involved in.
When
you are having a confrontation with another believer you might consider
forgiveness first. Can you forgive them
first, and then discuss your differences?
Would that stir some sort of love for them in your heart? Next time you feel like being a rusty gate,
try to think of the non-believers watching.
Think of the believers affected by your actions, and I would be willing
to bet that your concerns about how you feel will fall into place. Maybe then will we have learned how to love. --TD
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