My fellow "True Believers". As I am unashamedly a Christian or "Christ follower" I've dedicated this column for sharing my experiences as such. So Hello, to those of you, who also have "relationship" with God and the Holy Trinity. Those who have truly "experienced" God. Hello to those who can recognize him in the earth, in the atmosphere, in your life and in the lives of others.
Greetings, my friends! Greetings!
My "Sisters and Brothers" in Christ Jesus!
Though, there are some of you who want to pick and choose, even in the body of Christ, who you will call brother and sister (kin). Often times, you do this based upon YOUR OWN criteria and not upon the criteria of Jesus! We will discuss Jesus criteria for deciding whose in his family, further into this article.
In any case here is an example of the center of this subject matter: We were standing in the middle of the sanctuary after an event. Smiling, I came up to greet her and her husband. Knowing them for 2 years through the congregation, she caught me off guard when she said, "Don't call me Sister! I'm not your sister." That of course, is her right! Even when she and I run into one another from time to time, even now, she maintains that sense of standoffish-ness. It is quite noticeable. So, I am brief in my greetings and let it go.
Yes! It used to bother me alot, I must admit. Who wants to be disliked? Besides, I thought they were really nice people and I looked forward to seeing them. Though I am not liked in return obviously, still I do handle the situation well as I am mature enough to understand that everyone is not going to like me! And the weird thing is, the fault is not always the fault of the one who is doing the disliking. by the same token, the fault is not always on the person who is disliked!
Sometimes you never really know why! The other person may just not like your skin color, the shade of your hair, the perfume you wear, or the way you smile crooked! They could be jealous of your giftings! Maybe they are miserable and they just envy your joy! Who really knows? You know?
It wasn't until later that I found she had issues with my relationship with Christ and my place in the congregation. I don't worship the way she thought I should worship. I don't praise praise like she thought I should praise. I don't speak like she thinks I should speak. Well, my life experiences are different than hers as yours are from mine, Dear Readers. Each one of us, are affected by lief differently not to mention that we have different personalities and made, shaped an formed the way that we are. NO ONE is better than the other! NO ONE! And God reaches each and everyone at different times in their lives and in different ways! He knows why we are apart of the congregation and families that we are! Who are we to rule anyone out! He knows the gifts he's given each one of us and how we can use them for his kingdom in and out of the company of each other you CHRISTIANS!
We are all made for a purpose that only HE really knows why? We don't have the right to say how or when or even why? according to OUR OWN views... about someone else! We have not been given that power and determination by God! Though there are many in the church that think and believe that they have this kind of power. LORD, HAVE MERCY!
You, sitting in judgement, determining in yourself whom you will allow to claim you as a "brother or sister". You choose them OUT OF YOUR CHURCH CIRCLE because you don't like their hair, their clothes, the way they speak, they way they worship, they way they sing, don't volunteer enough. You may not see them put money in the offering plat every time it pass so you get annoyed as if your money is single handily supporting the church!
You may also find yourself annoyed by the way they come late for service sometime.
My question is in all of this WHERE ARE YOU?
Why are you spending so very much time on them?
Do you not know, focusing on them is taking time from yourself being corrected in God, about you! Do you even know those folks situation?
Have you ever tried to find out? For example, if yo are so concerned about them being late, have ever bothered to give them a ride or even offered?. The sad thing is, even in spite of your thoughts of them, Gods anointing on their lives, not even YOU can deny! Yes! They may have obvious flaws, but so do you! So do we all! Still, YOU don't want to claim them as part of your Well! Shameful, I tell you! Just shameful, you haughty, vain, ungrateful being! This includes many of us! It's so true, but have you ever wondered why someone you may have invited to church won't come with you or go to any other church congregation because of the way you act, dissing (disrespecting) other Christians? Before you answer, realize that people watch what you say and do more than you may think!
While it is true, that neither biologically nor spiritually (without having known you and your relation to God ) can I claim any of you as my "true" brothers and sisters! But in the spirit of unity and for the purpose of this article, I title you as such. But there are many of us in Christ, that have an issue(s) with claiming others in Christ as their own, though many Preachers preach family to the body of Christ being united, loving family members, all of the time! "Judge ye not," "Love them", "Know them", "Pray for your brother and sister, congregants", " we need each other", support and stand with one another" , "Turn to your neighbor, turn to somebody else and say..."etc. There is even a popular gospel song that is sung throughout congregations all across the globed hat says, "I'll pray for you, you pray for me... I need you to survive. ... I won't harm you with the words from my mouth, I need you , I need you to survive."
Still there are many of us who ignore the preachings of the preachers and even of Christ. Many still ignore even as they sing this lovely song with God listening and the angels of heaven recording every word that precede out of our mouths. But God knows the heart!
SO PRIDEFUL AND ARROGANT some of us are, to think ourselves better than another even those whom Christ has called unto himself! SHAMEFUL! How we have forgotten that lest Christ came to die for EACH ONE OF US, we would have been nailed to that cross. Lest Christ had come, we born in sin nature, would continue to be wreaking with the stench of of wrong doing. WE, who God has granted such a divine and undeserved gifts of MERCY and ofGRACE still manage to pick and choose those In Christ that we deem worthy!WHO ARE WE to judge? Yes! We are supposed to be discerning! But many in the church, the body of Christ takes that right of wisdom to new heights! More than just being wise and cautious, they sit in judgement and with their voices, with their actions they unfairly and without "real evidence" except for what they "feel", they condemn others in Christ! Sometimes, many times they do it openly, among other Christians and sometimes, while evenin the church house!
Part 2 is right underneath this post.
So stay tuned!
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