November 25, 2008
False Advertising
I walked into a hardware store that
advertises itself as being helpful and friendly. It took a long time to find
anyone who seemed to work there. When I asked them for assistance, the response
certainly wasn't friendly and the help dubious at best.
I sat down to dine at a restaurant that
specializes in chicken. They were all out. You couldn't order a single item that
contained chicken off the menu.
The insurance company advertises itself
as caring and always there for you. That lasted as long as they were collecting
premiums. As soon as you needed to make a claim they became difficult to reach
and obviously cared far more about their bottom line than for me as a customer
with a need.
That's the way things often are in life.
The reality and the claims are far from being the same. Now, I know in all
fairness that it may have simply been bad days for those employees and supplier
problems for the chicken place.
Differences between the promises and the
perception can even happen within the church. Unlike the promises of advertisers
though, I know that God's promises are true. He has demonstrated throughout
history, His incredible patience and faithfulness. When the church disappoints,
it isn't because it's God who has failed, it's the people in the church.
You see we serve, a loving, omnipotent,
omniscient, and omnipresent God. Yet for His own reasons, he has allowed
ordinary people with all of their faults to represent Him here on this earth.
That means sometimes the church will
miss the boat. Sometimes the people in the church will be uncaring, or rude, or
self serving. Sometimes the teaching won't be bang on, or you won't be made to
feel welcome when you visit. Sometimes the church will get its priorities mixed
up.
Don't let those things turn you off of
God. You would be missing out on the best thing that could ever happen to you if
you did. The church by its very nature can't be perfect. If they let you and I
in the doors, we know that it's not going to always have it together.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were
called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential;
not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He
chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things
that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before
him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us
wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore,
as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
1
Corinthians 1:26-31 NIV
We're not perfect yet. That's not going
to happen in this lifetime. We're better than we were when we started the
journey (or should be if we're striving to know God more and follow Him ...
which means if you haven't been growing in your faith and been undergoing Spirit
led changes you need to do some repenting and get back on track) and down the
road we'll be better yet. Never good enough to look down on others, because God
knows that we wouldn't have a chance either without Him, but better than we
were.
Until next time, if you've been hurt by
someone in the church. take it to God in prayer and remember you and I aren't
perfect yet either.
Be blessed
Darrel Mason