Recently I came across a post of a young man who seemed very offended by a Pastor. His post was quite long, trying to justify the teachings of that Pastor as false and misleading the flock. To my opinion, attacking another person in the name of self-promoting your presence on social media is outright cheap publicity.If you are busy criticizing something and you are not doing anything about it, you are not building bridges but tearing down the once others are trying to build.You don’t look any better because you made someone else look bad.God is the one who graces us to have influence and affluence which ought to give Him glory but not us tearing others down, in order to get sympathy and approval from people who will love you today and hate you tomorrow.
Our mission as the body of Christ, is solely to use what God has entrusted us with, to win souls and live in unity with each other and not sowing seeds of division amongst ourselves. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. I know some people have been offended by a pastor, others don’t like the church’s teaching, a few feel they were taken advantage of, and still others are convinced they’ve uncovered secret wrongdoing within the church leadership. But i have a question, is that online platform a place to air dirty laundry??To all those who are busy venting out their offenses on online platforms and attacking men and women of God, are your negative blog posts encouraging wounded souls with the love of Christ??Are your motives fueled in winning more souls to Christ or is this World laughing and wondering what is this all about the gospel of Christ?? Because we are busy attacking each other??Am just asking…………………
But i have a question, is that online platform a place to air dirty laundry??To all those who are busy venting out their offenses on online platforms and attacking men and women of God, are your negative blog posts encouraging wounded souls with the love of Christ??Are your motives fueled in winning more souls to Christ or is this World laughing and wondering what is this all about the gospel of Christ?? Because we are busy attacking each other??Am just asking…………………
If we are more concerned on attacking each other as Christians than spreading the gospel of love and unity to the lost world, we are missing the whole concept of the true gospel of Christ. Maybe “moving on” is the problem for these critics. They just can’t let go of the hurt of being offended. I can say the vast majority aren’t acting out of a biblical perspective, they’re simply acting out. Because they feel they were wronged, and they are lashing out at the church or the pastor.
Take this from me,offense is such a dangerous spirit to inhabit in your heart.Many “gifts” being offered to the Lord each Sunday do not get any further than the ceiling. God’s word clearly states in Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Offense is so serious that God is not interested in receiving from us until it is resolved.
People who do not get their offenses resolved will often, directly or indirectly, spread their bitterness and resentment to others. Hebrews 12:15 warns: “looking carefully…lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” The root of bitterness can be awakened by many sources, but none gets it going like an offense.I have blogged about offense.
At the end of it all, all these online campaigns against churches, make little to no impact and do nothing for the cause of Christ,than divide the flock and the lost get more lost. Coming to think of it:- Someone who feels wronged by a local church or pastor and invests the incredible amount of time it takes to create a blog and fill it with criticism, or does the same with a social media platform and keeps it going for months or years, probably has much bigger problems in their life and all they are after is divide people.
Am here on a mission, to urge all my on-line readers, to focus on using their influence for a positive cause. The world is lost and is looking for direction and we as the body of Christ, ought to be a channel of encouragement, love, unity and not the other way round.
Ways To guard your heart from online criticism against your church or your Pastor who is being attacked:-
- Before you react, consider the source:-Most of these critics are ex-church members, who have an issue on forgiveness and moving on. The Scripture is clear in Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle. Don’t be too naïve to believe any rumor and act out funny towards your church or your Pastor. Nothing spreads faster than gossip, so stay away from malicious rumors and focus on fulfilling your God given assignment.Don’t help a critic by responding to him. When you respond on a social media platform, you’re sharing the troll with all your followers, so don’t help promote him by responding.
- Don’t help a critic by responding to him. When you respond on a social media platform, you’re sharing the troll with all your followers, so don’t help promote him by responding.
- Stop reading it. I know some believers who dwell so much on the criticism that it taints their focus. You have the power of choice to choose what to dwell on and what to ignore.
- Pray, pray, pray when you learn the aspect of prayer, the Holy Spirit will teach you on how to pray for the body of Christ, your pastors and also the critics to focus on things that edify the body of Christ than dividing the flock.
- Focus on knowing God’s word to be able to stand on the truth at all times.2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Some people have essentially discovered their identity in being a victim, so they’re willing to invest a great deal in expressing their victim-hood. So stop reading the criticism and focus on your walk with God and edifying the body of Christ positively. Romans 12:3-5 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Belief’s and decent living are important, but there are legitimate, ways of correction within a church. Becoming an online critic isn’t one period!!!RUN YOUR OWN RACE.
Belief’s and decent living are important, but there are legitimate, ways of correction within a church. Becoming an online critic isn’t one period!!!RUN YOUR OWN RACE.
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You All And Am 
For You.
