Weekly Devotional: God is in the People Business
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
I have often heard the phrase, “God is in the people business,” and the more life lessons I learn, the more I find this to be true.
What happens when we don’t exactly see eye-to-eye with those we worship with on a weekly basis?
Recently, Pastor Tim Griffin and Dr. Jason Hiles sat down to discuss some of the hard, mature life questions, like what to do when you disagree with some of what is taught or happens at your church. When should you stick it out, and when do you know it’s time to find another church?
If you’d like to hear their answers, check out the latest Trending Faith video.
I also asked the Spiritual Life team member Chris Cunningham about his views on this topic:
“If your church preaches/teaches/takes part in actions that lead to the mistreatment, shaming or unequal treatment of another race, gender, denomination or culture, you should leave.
“Jesus speaks about truth as being the key to freedom, so if a church teaches any biblical “truth” in a way that induces toxic shame, run!
“If you feel burdened to stay, you should ask yourself, ‘Do I feel called by God to stay and help work these issues out, or do I feel pressured and guilted by peers or leadership to stay?’
“Also ask, ‘If I were to leave my church community now, would they love and accept me the same, regardless of which church I go to, or would they gossip or cut communication with me?’”
As we get ready for the weekend and attend our church services, let’s take a moment to reflect on how our church serves us, how we can best serve our church and how we can best serve God by gathering together in His name.