I never question why people hate Christians …
In the last few weeks, I know of five (brilliant! godly! wise! Spirit-filled! Biblical-thinking! loving!) women who have been utterly mistreated by their church leaders.
(I would use a different term for mistreated there, but it’s crass and I’m sure not very appropriate for any setting, more or less this blog.)
There is much that I could say about each situation, but I won’t.
(Not only do I not have their permission to share their stories–but honestly? As is usually the case with most relational conflicts, their stories are so incredibly complex that it would take hundreds and hundreds of words to even TRY to BEGIN to “summarize” them. These women have sinned. The church leaders have sinned. Some of it is just life in a fallen world where people stumble into one another and their weaknesses wreak havoc on others. Some of it may be intentional evil. It’s a mess and I can’t begin to give you a quick bottomline on it all. And so I won’t.)
But I will make just a few general statements:
1. I never question why people hate Christians. I just don’t. When I see how we (and I DO mean ME too!) treat one another? The depth of our SINS against one another? The grace-less, love-less, selfish HORRORS that even BELIEVERS inflict on one another? Well … I simply can’t find it hard to believe why so many people have such a low view of Christians. Makes total sense to me.
2. I love these women. I love them. I do. And my love for these women has not diminished ONE IOTA as we’ve spent time together these past few weeks … praying, crying, shouting, empathizing, rebuking, encouraging, confronting … talking, listening, just being there for one another. I HATE the sin in THEM that is causing them so much suffering … AND I hate the sin in OTHERS that is causing them so much suffering … but I love them. And I can’t believe that I get to call them my friends. It’s just such a gift. (Oh! How I pray that I am loving them well in the midst of these terrible situations!!)
3. God is glorified in His children even as we struggle. Is He glorified by our SIN? Of course not. Does it bring Him pleasure when we are tempted to believe lies, focus too much on ourselves, judge others, withhold love, or simply run away? Nope. No way. But God IS glorified in His children because the righteousness of CHRIST has been imputed to us. Period. Once and for all. Forever. And the fact that we are struggling and miserable and suffering in our sin? That we even SEE that it’s not a good thing to be tempted to hate, judge, or simply run away? If we even have a VAGUE INKLING that we might have a GAP between what we claim to believe about the gospel of Jesus Christ and then HOW WE ACTUALLY LIVE? This is an evidence that God IS at work in us! He IS conforming us to the image of His Son. We ARE His. Because unbelievers just don’t care. They don’t notice that there is even a problem. But we know. We know. We feel the weight of the current that is trying to drag us under. But we cannot be destroyed by our enemies–our sin, the world, even Satan and his minions. Because we belong with all our bodies and souls to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Praise Him!
Praise Him!
God loves His children.
God loves these women.
And (if they are actually Believers–I don’t know a lot of them so I surely won’t presume) … God loves even the leaders who are hurting these women too.
And I KNOW (by FAITH!) that all of this is just another step in the process of loving God and loving neighbor.
Yes, I hate that they are suffering!
Yes, I wish I could wave a magic wand and “fix it.”
But even more so–I am rushing the gates of Heaven for them.
I am believing for them.
I am SO trying to help carry them!!
(As I have been SO carried in the past. And by past, I don’t mean only in the distant past. I mean, you know, LAST WEEK too.)
Thank You, God, that You never forsake Your children.
Please do watch out over these precious women. (I know You do.)
Protect them from evil, I pray!
Pour courage into their hearts, I beg.
Be glorified! Be glorified!
Thank You that You ARE glorified.
Amen & Amen
Yours,
Tara B.