“I’m Just Saying…”
I was speaking to friend who lives in another community recently. My friend was lamenting about the preaching of his pastor. He said:
“My pastor is always preaching against three things: abortion, gays, and Muslims. Now Bill, I don’t know of any gays in my church. There are certainly no Muslims in my church. I don’t know if any of the woman have had abortions–but I doubt it. My pastor is always preaching against the sins of everyone else – but he never speaks out against the sin of people in our church.”
“What sins are those?” I asked.
Without hesitation, he replied, “Many of the people in my church are just plain mean. They arrogantly look down their noses at other people. They are full of pride and think that they are better than anyone else! They are just like the Pharisee in the Bible who prays, thanking God he is not like the tax-collector.”
Are any of us like that? Before you answer that, consider the following questions:
• Are you one of those who is always trying to correct the flaws of others?
• Do you find that you often try to put yourself in a place of prominence over others?
• Do you often see the faults in others, but not in yourself?
• Do you spend a lot of time trying to fix others (spouse, children, fellow church members, friends, etc.)?
Do you talk about your devotional practices in public? (i.e. In my prayer time this morning, I was reading my Bible, and God spoke to me, saying…)
• Do you feel slighted when you are not given recognition for some good deed that you have done?
• Do you have a tendency to look down your noses at others, criticizing them no matter what the situation?
Well, if our answer to any of these questions is YES, we just might be a Pharisee.
How about we spend more time each week talking about God’s marvelous grace – and less time talking about “rules and regulations” UNTIL we come to the point when all we say is about grace?
“I’m Just Saying…”
