This post is more for those who are Christians, Christ followers, those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who laid down His life for a world He loved more than Himself. I just wanted to share from my heart to believers for a few minutes about some things I have observed.
I live in the south right smack dab in the middle of the bible belt. Here in Georgia where I live, there are so many churches it is unreal. I jokingly say we have more churches than Waffle Houses and that is a lot!
What I don't see here, however, is change. I do not see much change in our communities. I do not see much change in our society. You would think if there were so many Christians in all these churches that there would be significant changes going on concerning morality, crime, addictions, divorce, you name it, but there is not. Why is that? I have been observing a lot this past year and here is my own personal opinion.
I think for the most part, Christians go to church because that is the acceptable thing to do. Church is part of the culture, it's what you on Sundays. They key word there is Sundays. Folks go to church and that's it. There is no real change in their lives because of what they might learn in church. They go to church but live however they want to. To me, what is even worse are the churches who stay "safe" within their own walls and keep away from what they might call sinful people or people with sinful behavior. They judge and criticize the way people look, or behave and never try to make a difference in their lives. They don't try to reach out. You can't show me one time in the bible where Jesus criticized those who were lost. The ones he criticized were the religious leaders of the day. What does that tell you?
We can not call ourselves Christians and not love what Jesus loved. He loved people. We can not shelter ourselves in a little cocoon and be effective in a broken and lost world. This generation faces more than my generation ever had to face. They face more violence, more drug abuse, more temptation when it comes to sexuality, and even more hatred toward what is good and godly. This, however, does not give us an excuse to bury our heads in the sand or to judge and run away from it all. Jesus walked among those who were lost, He prayed for and ministered to them right where they were. We have to be willing to do the same. We cannot judge people or get offended by them living out their true nature. We have to understand the times and respond accordingly. We respond with love, patience, kindness, and by considering others even more than ourselves. This sounds completely opposite of what the church is doing today it seems, don't you think? We must love even the unlovable. We must love the unlovable whether they are someone who does not know Christ, or a brother or sister in Christ who is having a difficult time staying on track. Love covers a multitude of sins and real love doesn't hide from the challenge of the unlovable. Let's not hide, let's not judge, let's be proactive and be purposeful in evangelism and in love for a world Jesus chose to lay down His life for!
I love you all
Cathi
Comments (4)
HEY CATHI, I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR POST. IT WAS SO HONEST AND SO TRUE!! I GO TO A CHURCH OF CHRIST CHURCH. AND WE ARE A GOOD CHURCH. BUT YOU KNOW THEIR ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DO THOSE VERY SAME THINGS THAT ATTEND MY CHURCH. I ACCEPT ANYONE AND EVERYONE. I HAVE SOME FRIENDS THAT ARE JOINING. AND THEY ARE NOT PERFECT AND THEY DO MAKE MISTAKES. EVERYONE DOES, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO READING SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU GET BACK ON THIS POST. HUGS AND GOD BLESS, ROBIN
Hi! This is a very good post. Unless Christians act on the Word of God, and become a reflection of Christ's love, they cannot be called followers of Christ. You are right with your observations. Over the years Christianity has been reduced to mere rituals like Sunday worship etc.
They go to church but live however they want to.
This statement sums it all. Faith, without works, is dead.
God bless you!
I think that there is also a mystery involved in the way the Holy Spirit moves among us. God has his own plans and his own timetable for doing things and we are not privy to it. Do not be too discouraged by what you do not see. Keep praying and a time will come when we see answers to those prayers. He hears our prayers and he loves each and every one of us, no matter how often we fail Him. He is committed to seeing all of us through to the end of the race.
Cathi, These words were right on and well spoken. I have copied this post and put it on my site today as this is a theme I have been working with over the past few days. I have given you full credit for your post and hopefully you will be back soon with more of your timeless writings. Blessings sister!