When I was a younger girl I used to attend a very small, traditional baptist church. I remember one particular time during service, all of the youth were directed down to the basement for a workshop. As part of the workshop we were instructed to write out ways the church could improve the youth ministry to keep youth active. We were told that our ideas would stay in the room we were in but that it would be helpful to hear our voices so we all created lists, drew pictures of how to improve, and even had a chance to share out some of our ideas with one another. At the end of the service, our lists were collected. The following Sunday during service, the pastor of the church made it clear that he had read our lists by the way he spoke to the entire church and looked directly at certain people. He literally went through stating specific things that myself and others had privately written down on our list and he told the entire church that if we had problems with the way the church was being ran, we could leave.
In that moment, I had never felt so uncomfortable and embarrassed in a place where I thought I should be able to find comfort. I told my mom all about what happened and told her that I never wanted to go back to that church again because they were liars and the pastor was too judgemental. Every Sunday, my mother still made me get up to attend church moving forward.
In that moment, I had never felt so uncomfortable and embarrassed in a place where I thought I should be able to find comfort. I told my mom all about what happened and told her that I never wanted to go back to that church again because they were liars and the pastor was too judgemental. Every Sunday, my mother still made me get up to attend church moving forward.
As we enter into the month of August I believe that God wants to begin placing a higher demand on “church folks”. We cannot keep getting up and going to church on Sundays to teach or hear a sermon, attend bible study throughout the week, go to every church event that is happening, or participate in church ministries and believe that those are the things that qualify us to be good people of Christ; yet, we hardly ever serve outside of the four walls of the church on our own time, we place critical judgement on others rather than offering a helping hand or accepting them for exactly who they are, and we do not truly take time to seek a relationship with Christ outside of church.
Jeremiah 7:3-7 NIV says, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.”
As a body of Christ I challenge us to challenge ourselves to do better this month. Let’s make a conscious effort to change our ways and actions towards others. Let’s stop oppressing strangers and begin treating one another justly. Let’s stop playing church just to put on a front and start truly chasing after God’s very own heart outside of church. Let’s stop thinking that serving on ministries or having some sort of title is what qualifies us as good people of Christ and let's start intentionally making an effort every day to be good women and men of Christ. All of us are shaped with iniquities and none of us will be perfect but God is not looking for perfection He is longing for our continuous effort.
Jeremiah 7:3-7 NIV says, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.”
As a body of Christ I challenge us to challenge ourselves to do better this month. Let’s make a conscious effort to change our ways and actions towards others. Let’s stop oppressing strangers and begin treating one another justly. Let’s stop playing church just to put on a front and start truly chasing after God’s very own heart outside of church. Let’s stop thinking that serving on ministries or having some sort of title is what qualifies us as good people of Christ and let's start intentionally making an effort every day to be good women and men of Christ. All of us are shaped with iniquities and none of us will be perfect but God is not looking for perfection He is longing for our continuous effort.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We give you Glory for blessing us with another month this year. Thank you for watching over us and keeping us. Thank you for overlooking our ignorant ways. We come before you knowing that we are imperfect and you alone are the only perfection that we know. We confess our sins to you, for you are faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness according to your word (1 John 1:9 NLT). Lord we desire to make you happy and we desire to live according to your will. Teach us how to be more Christ like in our everyday walk of life. Teach us how to properly love and treat one another justly. Keep us humble. Keep us in servitude mode. Keep us gentle. We bind all criticizing thoughts and opinions of others and ask that you bless us with the ability to see people for who they are, and accept them exactly as they are. Help the body of Christ to understand that religiously coming to church or being apart of a ministry is not enough, for you have called us to be your ambassadors and speak on your behalf (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT). Raise us up to become better women and men of God and let always keep our relationship with you at the cornerstone of our lives. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
Heavenly Father,
We give you Glory for blessing us with another month this year. Thank you for watching over us and keeping us. Thank you for overlooking our ignorant ways. We come before you knowing that we are imperfect and you alone are the only perfection that we know. We confess our sins to you, for you are faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness according to your word (1 John 1:9 NLT). Lord we desire to make you happy and we desire to live according to your will. Teach us how to be more Christ like in our everyday walk of life. Teach us how to properly love and treat one another justly. Keep us humble. Keep us in servitude mode. Keep us gentle. We bind all criticizing thoughts and opinions of others and ask that you bless us with the ability to see people for who they are, and accept them exactly as they are. Help the body of Christ to understand that religiously coming to church or being apart of a ministry is not enough, for you have called us to be your ambassadors and speak on your behalf (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT). Raise us up to become better women and men of God and let always keep our relationship with you at the cornerstone of our lives. In Jesus name we pray, amen.