Intentions are good but they can only go so far. Things have been done with the best of intentions that have resulted in devastation. Things have been said with the best of intentions that have resulted in disaster. As much good as we think we are trying to do, as much as we are trying to accomplish for God there are always some things better left unsaid, some things better left undone. In other words, regardless of what we as Christians may think is sometimes in the best interest of the church there are some things, attitudes, actions, etc. that the church could more healthily live without
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- The church can live without condescension. You’ve probably heard Christians get involved in conversations that eventually turned to nothing more than a spitting contest. The discussion no longer has anything to do with the validity of the scriptures but it has everything to do with how much better/smarter/etc. one is than the other. You know what that will accomplish? It will show that the one trying to prove they are the bigger person is really just a jerk. Condescension is rooted in pride. It is the result of thinking higher of one’s self than they ought. When we abide by the words of Romans 12:3 condescension would not be a problem – “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Condescension will never stir hearts. It will only stir up anger and wrath. The church can live without condescension.
- The church can live without sarcasm. Sometimes we call it being a smart aleck. Either way sarcasm inherently implies that there is no respect for the person to whom we speak. There should be a natural reverence shown to our fellow man. No, not reverence in the same way that we reverence God, but reverence nonetheless. That reverence comes as an extension of our love. But some will conclude that if we must only show that reverence/respect to those we love then that gives us license to speak anyway we want to everyone else. If that is our attitude then we have a much deeper issue than the use of sarcasm because we have wholly rejected Jesus’ expectation of love – “…I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Using sarcasm may make us feel like we’ve gotten an upper hand in the conversation but it really just shows how low we are willing to stoop. The church can live without sarcasm.
- The church can live without gossip. We just love when people tell unsubstantiated stories about us behind our backs don’t we? Wait, you mean we don’t? That’s odd because in many ways that has become our chosen form of communication. Previously spreading rumors was easy enough by the spoken and printed word. Technology has only increased this problem, and now with the advent of social media we are in as bad a position as we’ve ever been. Honestly the Golden Rule principle of Matthew 7:12 should be enough to convince us of this evil but sadly it has not. We know it’s wrong but most just don’t care. However, Paul plead with the Corinthian church to not be found engaging in “debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults…” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Ridding ourselves of those habits will display the true character of Christians and show the world where our true intentions lie. The church can live without gossip.
- The church can live without self-centeredness. I don’t know at what point in our past it happened but the church has long since turned our attention away from the needs of the lost and we turned it in to the needs of saved. That’s not to say that the saved don’t have some pretty significant needs but the New Testament never emphasizes the needs of the saved over its ultimate purpose – the lost. Jesus’ own purpose in life was centered around seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). When He went back to heaven He left His disciples with the responsibility of going to the lost of the world and teaching them the gospel (Luke 24:47). Throughout the 1st century the church’s focus was always on the outside world. But at some point in the past we generally quit paying attention as much to the fact that people are lost. Our attention is now given to what we as Christians want, what we need. That’s self-centered. Romans 10 illustrates just how important it is that we turn our attention away from self and back on the world. Taking vs. 13-17 to their logical conclusion is that outside of the church’s dedication to evangelistic work then the world will be lost. Sound like a problem? Good, because it most definitely is. The church can and must live without self-centeredness.
The likelihood is that you have struggled/are struggling with some of these habits in the same way I do. We all do. But sometimes we do them assuming that because our intentions are good that we are justified in them. However, intentions are irrelevant when it comes to some matters and good intentions or not these are some things the church can live without.
-Andy Brewer