Do people get disillusioned over church bickering?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: My neighbor says he used to go to church, but he got disillusioned with all the bickering that went on, and he decided to drop out and forget about God. Do you think he's just using this as an excuse? -- M.J.
A: Only God knows whether or not his bad experience was just an excuse to turn away from God. He may not even know himself; we seldom face our real motives when we decide to leave God out of our lives. This is why the Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23).
At the same time, I'm sorry this church didn't measure up to his expectations -- or to God's standards. No church is perfect (which I hope you'll explain to your neighbor). But if you were the devil, wouldn't you try to get Christians to bicker and complain, or in some other way fail to act the way God wants them to? Of course you would -- because Satan's goal is to block God's work.
But when we set aside our own agendas and put Christ first -- both in our lives and our churches -- we won't give the devil an opening. Instead, our desire will be to live for Christ and be shaped by His Word, the Bible. And when that happens, outsiders will see that Christ makes a difference in the way we live, and they'll be drawn to Him. The Bible's command is clear: "Live in harmony with one another" (Romans 12:16).
Pray for your neighbor -- and pray too that God will use you to point him to Christ. In addition, urge him to forget the failures of others and look only at Jesus. He alone is perfect, and He alone is the One who loves us and can save us.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
(c)2018 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
