Frequently, when I'm finding a brother or sister in Christ to be irritating, the words from Galatians 6:1-4 come to my mind. I think about how God tells me that when someone gets caught up in sin, I'm to help the person and to refrain from being prideful because I could just as easily fall into the same sin.Sometimes in church people can be annoying. Just recently I had such a situation. A lady at my church of whom I am quite fond, a woman who has on several occassions gone out of her way to extend friendliness and welcome toward me, surprised me by her rigid attitude.
The situation was that we live in a very small town (posted population 3,500) and attend a small church. For what I'm guessing is just about forever, there have been two AM Sunday services at that church. The interim pastor decided to combine the services and have one Sunday AM service. There weren't enough child care volunteers to produce quality children's ministry during both services and the building was scantily filled at each service. By combining to one service the service is filled and there are enough workers to produce a quality children's program. But this dear one was complaining and even saying that she is going to ask people to join her in not attending that one service in protest; I was shocked. I thought to myself of how much I love this woman but how totally unyeilding she is to change and about how sometimes change can be a good thing.
But then I had to look at myself and ask - how open to change am I? Do I insist that things stay the way that is comfortable for me? I know that I want to be a person who goes with God's flow and doesn't become unyeilding - but am I?
What about you, are you flexible to change or is it difficult for you?
4 comments:
Resisting change is fear of the unknown. We all love the comfort of our own little world and find it difficult when it is disturbed.
God bless.
It is so easy to get religious - even about the service time. This s just what the Pharisee's did.
Furthermore, things that cause division are sin. i am sure this person is a lovable, but man, the tail wagging the dog stuff is so damaging to the body of Christ.
I have had my share of run ins with leadership, and a friend gave me this verse.
1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
It's pretty hard to defend your point of view with that sort of truth. :)
Good blog, and a much needed topic for discussion.
Victor - yeah, it's so easy to get selfish and want things how it's most comfortable for us. I pray that the Holy Spirit would convict me when I'm like that, because it's not how I really want to be.
Adore that verse from 1 Corinthians David. It really puts it all into perspective. The man who leads the music part of worship at our church recently said something that really hit home for me. He's most likely in his 30s and he said that if he led worship with the songs that please him most he'd only use hymns but that he knows that others are more frequently inspired by simple, modern worship tunes so he leads us mostly in those since it's not all about him. What a precious heart this man has! I want to be like that - to set aside my preferences for others in the body.
Hi Tracy,
Just catching up on reading your blog postings because my computer has been down since January 7th.
Having no internet was certainly a change in my life--I've been forced to read books.
I once heard a professor tell young pastors that they could preach heresy and nobody would object, but if they moved the candlesticks, they'd be out of a job in no time!
There's a reason the Scripture calls us people of little faith and stiff-necked.
PS: I liked your post about it not always being the parents' fault when kids goof.
John
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