Frustrations with Christians...

So my friend Pat wrote this post on some frustrations he has with people who call themselves Christians. It echoes my thoughts and was beautifully put, especially his portion on church hoping and going to a church to "get fed." So for your reading pleasure, check it out.

From Pat's Blog:

Its been several days since I'd hoped to get this posted, but I've struggled with it too. So now I'm sitting in the airport with my Blackberrt and I have a few minutes on my hands.... So here goes!

Continuing with the Confessions Blog theme, today is "Sometimes Christians Really Annoy Me". Now let me clarify. This is not to say that all believers annoy me at a random time. Maybe annoy isn't even the best word... Maybe it should be 'frustrate'. Nonetheless, there are moments when I encounter believers that are very frustrating. I realize many (or most) people in the US that 'claim' to follow Christ are in fact not true believers. This could definitely lend a hand to many common misperceptions that exist as a result. So many of these frustrations (if you will) are birthed from those misperceptions or what should be mischaracterizations actually playing true. Clarifying even further, why I feel this frustration is because as a Pastor, part of my goal is to help change peoples thoughts about Christians. I want them to see ours and Christs love for them. Its not my delight to find fault or difficulty in anyone, as it is not a regular practice. For easy reading, I'll create a few things:

"Consider my needs...." I've heard it said all we need to live is food, shelter and love. I've seen people get along with only 2 out of 3 - although not that well. I get frustrated when people pull this card out though, because 9 times out of 10 (IMO) the person asking you to consider their 'needs' has not once considered yours. In fact, they often don't think about anyones except their own.

"I want to be fed...." This is a toughy, but regarding churches I've know countless people over my 27 years of life that have left churches because they're not being fed. Let me go on the record and say that I do believe part of my responsibility as a pastor is to preach the Gospel (Good News) and I make no consolation to that fact. I do not 'hide' what Scripture says on a subject because its not PC. However, there is a contigancy within our churches of people who feel they need to be spoon fed by the pastor every week. If they aren't getting it, they go somewhere else. Sundays shouldn't just be about expanding your knowledge, it should be about exhortation, encouragement, worship, (and so on) with one another. We've created this 'feeding time' so its our fault as pastors (over the past 100 years). If your a follower of Christ, its your duty to feed yourself, so put away childish things (IE spoon feeding) and get to some meat!

"You've offended me..." Ok, I haven't heard this that much in my life - but I have seen it like crazy. What part of Jesus telling us to die to ourselves makes us think we have a right to be offended? Call me fat, dumb, or insincere -- it doesn't matter to me. I'm not saying it won't hurt, but as much as Christ has given up for me, can I not show a similar love to others? I have never demanded an apology from anyone... And hope not to.

"I've been here for ___ years..." This one is a tough one. We get the idea that if we've been at a church 50 years we have precedent over someone who has been there 5. We do this in other ways too... We assume that age equals wisdom. Just because someone has been a believer for 20 years doesn't necessarily make them wiser than the guy who's done it for 2. Smarter (more info) maybe... But we have the same Holy Spirit guiding us. I've seen both sides of course, and quite often some of the people I know with the strongest faith are older... But we are all a part of this Body. Different functions, and none of us more important than the other.

"I think..." Ok, anything that starts with these words regarding theology (etc) should from hence forth be described as personal opinion. I like you, your brain, and your thoughts - but I'm basing the way I live on what I know from Scripture, not rational deduction or reasoning.

"Church hoppers". We've met them, we've been them. I know pastors that haven't been at a church more than 3 years... They can hop too! Seriously, there is no perfect church and you will most likely never be somewhere where you completely agree 100% with everything. If you think you do, you just haven't thought through everything. These differences make us GREATER as believers. Stop jumping from church to church and commit. The Bible says "let your yes be yes and your no be no". If you have been involved in more than 3 churches while living at the same address, you need to ask yourself: am I serving God or myself/my-family? I'm not called to put my wife and kids first, but God. If I make a decision on what's best for them, it places them above Him - and sets a bad precendent for my son to think he's number 1... And God isn't. This one is the hardest, but when you find a church and commit to it - stick with it until God moves you on or a tornado carries you off. (And both will carry the same intensity)

Let me finish by saying, its OK if you've been or said one of these things. The world doesn't stand still because of my frustrations. :)

However, if you tend to agree with me (now) then join with me and make an effort to live differently... Sacrificially. I've said a few of these things, and I've definitely been down some roads I don't love, but there's hope in our faith! These were tough to write, but be encouraged- we weren't meant to live for so much more than we settle for!