Conflicting Christians

Christians have a really bad habit of causing conflicts with non-believers. The sad part is those "non-believers" want to be included, invited and loved on whether at church or somewhere else and are seeking to fill the empty space they can't quite identify. There is a superiority complex spreading like wild fire through today's churches and it breaks my heart as I see church after church turning away people who aren't what they had in mind for "their" church. When we decide who gets to be involved in "our' church, it is like we are telling these people, as well as God, that we ultimately decide who gets to go to heaven. "Our" church today has become a club and if you aren't in the cool crowd you can't come. I despise the term "member." When I think of a member I think of a club, something exclusive and church should never be exclusive. Let's make this clear, it is GOD'S church. It may be our job to promote, care for, and grow the church but it is not OUR church. God created all of us and we are all sinners. Do we all take part in the same specific sins, of course not. Is one sin greater than another? In God's eyes, absolutely not. So why do we as Christians judge people who sin differently than we do? Doesn't every one of God's people have the right to choose if they want to be part of the Kingdom of God? Why do we keep making this decision for them? This is a topic that has plagued me for a very long time and it is time to speak out. The word "our" makes me cringe, it shows possession, so if it is "ours" then it is not "theirs." Who are "they" that I speak of? Anyone we judge instead of love. The ones who we don't include because in reality we don't think they deserve the grace that we have so undeservedly received from God. It is time we as a body, the body of Christ, stand together, united, and spread God's love instead of the worldly judgements we seem to carry for everyone who is "different." I use to be so convinced that it was "our" church that I was attending but God opened my eyes and now I see that it is HIS church. Until today's churches start trying to promote God's church, not "their" church or "our" church then we will continue seeing people turned away. I want to be a part of God's church, what church are you?

Empty

Empty. The word itself automatically makes you think of things that need to be filled, i.e., the gas tank, the fridge, if you're like me then usually your bank account. Do we realize that we all have an empty place in our hearts just begging to be filled with the love of God? Not usually. Even as a Christian that emptiness can start to take over the fullness we felt when we first let God into our hearts. We let the feelings of loneliness, desires for what we don't yet have, pain of broken dreams and difficult realities continue to make holes in our hearts, forever feeling some form of empty. I only recently realized that if I don't let God take over my whole heart, not just the holes in my heart,  that I will always have an emptiness somewhere and the need to fill it. Have you ever found yourself saying "God, if you could just give me_____ I would feel whole," and when you get it you find yourself feeling empty in some other aspect of life? As hard as it is, until we give all of our hearts to God and not just the parts that are empty and aching to be filled with satisfaction, we will never be whole in Christ. It is time to decide, do you want to feel whole or keep trying to fill holes?