Personally I can relate to how I base a place of worship or sometimes my local church on the people that fill the pews, there judgmental looks and glares. I look around and see what sometimes looks like what is described as a false image of a Christians, rather than seeing them as a sinner as well, I have always struggled with a need for acceptance from these people rather than focusing on my own walk and heart. When disappointment comes either from people in the church or my own failures, I have a tendency to want to move on and back away. My goal here is to stand my ground and allow God to use me as He would but my habit of complacency, laziness and isolation is at war against me. If I could get over my own judgmental spirit and learn to be loving to those who may look down there nose at me, If I could learn to find my value in Christ alone my joy and peace would not be fleeting. I want my relationship with Christ to be personal and know that even when I sin, that I can repent and be back into relationship with God. I pray that our walk with God thru this life will be a genuine relationship and not just superficial religious rituals, like just going thru the motions, church on Sunday and a occasional worship song on the radio . I find myself listening to many sermons but never meditating on them, as soon as I arrive at work, my life looks like it was never touched by the word of God. I never let it change me or enter my heart and mind and make a permanent change.I am working on this differently now as old habits are hard to break. The sanctification process can seem to go cold for me, it has a lot to do with my heart and the need to chase after things of this world. The freedom that God gives me, I should not squander it. I can relate with Paul in his letter to Romans, I do the thing I do not want to do and the thing I do not do , I do. I pray that we may all mature in Christ and continue to grow in Him. I must know that to mature is to not be led by my emotions.
Daniel Smith
I relate to your post 100%. You summed up this letter very well. Well said brother.
I love the picture at the bottom of your post that you inserted. This picture speaks a thousand words. I think that many of today’s church’s are pushing prosperity gospel and the focus is on self-help, feel-good, pep you up!! The focus is on the social and each other’s self and very little on God. Church should be Christ-centered and we should enter into Church with a single objective to build our relationship / personal relationship with Christ. We also should fellowship with other Christians with this single focus… When we lose focus on Christ, the demons have effectively distracted us from what is important and vital.
One more thought, think back to Jesus day. Pharisee’s were the ones that looked down their noses on others including Jesus. They were completely self-centered and measured their worth compared to others. In contrast, Paul called himself chief amongst sinners. He said his best was as filthy rags. Why? because he measured himself to God. Our focus should be Christ-centered and not self-centered. Love you brother.