I think every one of us has had an unfortunate experience with church or a church member at some point in our lives. If you haven’t, you’re either very blessed or lying to yourself. The fact is, churches and the people that attend them are human. At their very center they are human and make mistakes, have faults. We all know some people content in their flaws who do not see any need for improvement, but there are also so many good people out there. Ones who are trying to better themselves, who hear something they did wrong and apologize for it, intent on not repeating their mistake. I left my home church when I reached middle-school age. I wanted a youth group that my home church wasn’t offering at that time. When I began visiting other churches on my own, I experienced many adults, people who I looked up to and expected better from, judging me and questioning why I was attending church separate from my parents. It wasn’t that I was being a “bad” Christian, or trying to rebel from my parents, I was simply seeking what I needed to grow in my walk with the Lord. Everyone has to find their own way and it is unfair of any of us to judge someone’s path. These instances hurt my heart, but didn’t deter me from church and my walk. Throughout the years I have faced more criticism from elders who didn’t agree with some newer ideas of the youth group to being told I was accepted and had a home, with people who continuously did not reflect the Lord but expected me to fit a perfect mold. I know many people both my age and older who have been burned by the church, by human actions, whether it be a failure to truly get to know them or harsh criticism that tore them apart. However, this is not the Lord. This is not of our Father. I think many times, especially in southern culture, we are taught that God will condemn us and punish us, we must abide by the rules or He will enact His wrath. He is a jealous God and does hold us accountable, but He is also loving, kind, welcoming, wonderful, and just about any other good adjective you can think of. Don’t allow the actions of someone who is still growing, learning in their walk with the Lord, to hurt you and take away your image of God. He wants to meet with you individually, show you more and more of His heart until you reach an intimacy in your relationship with Him. People will always disappoint us whether they mean to or not, but God never does and never will. Please give grace to those around you, protect your hearts and let things bounce off of you, and always remember that God is ready to embrace you.
Hurt by People? Don’t Toss God Away
