How are You in Church?

Did you know that you may represent what is often going on in the churches of America? People flat out do not realize what they are doing to one another; we are not living honestly with one another. We sit in our pews with our nice suits and dresses and with big smiles on our faces, but do we really realize how we are mirroring Christ to the world, or to the person sitting right next to us? Are we doing it as Christ would, or are we mirroring what we feel and desire, regardless of our mandate from our Lord? Hypocrisy is a destroyer of the church. If Satan were to sit down in a counsel of demons to implant a strategy to tear down the church in America, all he would need to do would be to place a few key individuals in each church to spread gossip and rumors.

Satan cannot do any better than that; perhaps this is where it all originates. But in any case, no matter where the slander of hypocrisy comes from, it all comes down to us. As Christians, we have the responsibility to act as the Disciples of Christ. Consider how a well-trained sheep dog will go out into the herd and gently nudge the sheep at their rear ankles to where they need to go. The sheep dog causes no harm to the sheep; he provides the leadership and strength to place the sheep where they need to be and keeps them focused on the shepherd. If you were to place a pit-bull, who is not trained, out into a sheep field, all it would do is go around and maul the sheep.

So, what are you doing? Are you mauling sheep or are you shepherding with love and care?