Two Things That Break My Heart

  

   When grownup Christians act childish and petty...this breaks my heart.  And when mature Christians look inwardly too deeply and become judgmental of other Christians...this also breaks my heart. I think it breaks the heart of Jesus too.  He gave His life so we could be free of such things, instead we choose to be bound to our old man.

     Did you know your local church could be destroyed overnight by one person throwing a baby fit about a trivial matter such as color of carpet or where someone sits in the Sunday morning service?  Pathetic isn't it?  People claiming the name of Jesus and acting like that.  Whatever happened to the grace of God in their lives?  Have they not been freed from sin or what? 

      If I could right all wrongs by trying to pacify a person with this bend, I would.  I would lay down my own life and die if it would save a brother or sister that is being childish. Sadly, the person that is the most childish in the church is the one that is often pacified or catered to.  We become enablers instead of peacemakers.  We do things as right as possible for people's moods or whims rather than doing things as right as possible in the eyes of God; or in bringing glory to His name.  This breaks my heart.

     As for looking inwardly too deeply...This may be the harder one to rid in our churches, because the ones who are inclined to look inwardly too deeply are the ones who are extremely interested in finding heretics and false doctrines.  They make it their business to find out as much information as possible about a popular trend in Christianity or about a author or speaker who might not be sound.  These types do what they do because they have deep concern that the body of Christ does not become defiled.  

     The danger that I see in this is to become so involved with being right or "righteous", that one could miss the leading of the Holy Spirit in their own personal life.  The focus becomes out of balance because they are too lost in a world of saving souls according to their own doctrine rather than in the power of the blood of Jesus.  If trust is placed in Jesus power and forgiveness for all believers, a Christian will be more concerned with his own personal walk with the Lord in everyday life. He will be more concerned that his own personal life is free of pretense and hypocritical living. 

     And because the balance is right, a Christian that is concerned about the things that concern Christ, will have a full time job ridding himself of hypocrisy and self righteousness.  He will be hands free to help the down and out.  He won't turn his back on the one he has almost converted to the things of the Lord but then lost because they chose something different than what he wanted for them.  A Christ follower should let the work of the Holy Spirit have free reign in another person's life by praying for that individual and loving them constantly even if they perform badly or not at all as was expected.  

     It breaks my heart to see Christians looking for the evil in our churches rather than the good that is already there. It is already there because we are sinners saved by grace and because there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.  Do we really believe it when we are running around predicting heresy and faithlessness? 

If we must break hearts let's do it to be broken and humble before that Lord our God our Maker...Let us break our hearts for the things that still breaks the heart of Jesus.