Complaining Trend

Someone I know was having a rough couple of weeks and they were talking to me.    I prayed for them and later that day another person was having a hard time with someone in leadership, so I encouraged them and we prayed for healing and restoration.

The next day I was helping someone out and they had a list of complaints a mile long about church and problems there.   I couldn't help but notice a trend there.

 I asked the Lord what his take was on all these legitimate complaints.  You know what he said? He said, "Your leaders are works in progress just like you are.  Don't expect perfection from them until you are perfect yourself."

Contrary to popular belief,  God is working on them just like he is working on us..... but the area he's working on might not be the area that bugs you the most. 

I too have had my share of trouble with persons in leadership, surprise, surprise.  I wouldn't be human if it weren't so.   The Lord has opened my eyes to see the bigger picture and to see the damage that can be done to a church by disappointment and offense.

The Problem is.... there are only so many churches to go to and if you leave offended at one you're enlisting in God's 'wilderness wandering game'.  No thank you.  Been there before and I want to move on to the next level.

I am not by any means saying that our church has it all together.  On the contrary, I can see some gaping holes and areas that need improvement.

So I am going to share some wise words a couple of my mentors shared with me years ago.

The First is never leave a church with offense in your heart.  Always ask God to heal  you up first and try to leave on good standing, not the superficial, "Thanks,  I'm called out. Good bye."   This will help you grow in Christ. If you can't leave the way you want because of situations outside your control, then pursue healing in the new church you go to.

Second, when a leader starts claiming he/she's something great etc. and it rubs you the wrong way, pause and think about it.  Is the person saying this to excuse a character flaw or are they attempting to, 'call those things that be not as though they were?" Usually if it rubs you the wrong way it's because you have had their flaws cause you personal pain.  It's time to seek the Lord and find the balance in your life.  God, family, work then church is the way most ministry leaders advise people to prioritize your lives.

I remember something a leader said when one of his helpers quit his job and stated he was going to go preach the gospel for a living.  This person said to themselves, "Why this guy can't preach himself out of a garbage can! He'll be out of money in a month!"  Holy Spirit quickly spoke up to this man, "Then help him!"   That quieted this leader.  So many other people were quick to tell the would be preacher that he would never make it and that he better go back to his regular job but this leader would not join in their criticism or judgement. Time marched on and the would be preacher did become successful, praise God!

Are you wondering who the leader was?   Kenneth Copeland! And the would be preacher was Jerry Savelle! What a loss it would be to the body of Christ without Jerry Savelle's Ministry!  He has helped countless people around the globe get a handle on the basics of faith--myself included!

So when I hear a leader claiming great titles I remember that story and I figure I can be on the helping side which is Holy Spirit, or I can be on the devil's side which is criticizing and judging.  No thank you.  I am Not going there.  Yes, the attacks are real and yes sometimes leaders get puffed up.  God's able to correct them without my help... I know that now.

I encourage  you to give all your expectations of what leadership should and should not be over to the Lord daily.  That's what I am learning to do.  As I look at God in praise and worship it gets easier and easier to do this.  Let's pray...

Lord we need your help to love people through the unlovely situations we face daily.  Let your love and peace we shed abroad  in our hearts.  Give us your hope that you are able to change us and the situations around us.  We ask for joy and humor in our daily journey with you. Bind us all together in your love and thank you for unity of spirit in our churches.  Thank You for helping us look past our hurts to the beauty you are creating in the people around us and in us.  Thank You Lord for time with you and for transforming our hearts so we want to spend more time with you every day. Amen!

Bless you!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

More Glory! If I pay the price...

The Lord has been telling me to spend more time with him again.  He wants me to drop all the other good stuff and just spend time with him alone.  My family has been through this before so they are used to it, Thank God.  For all my friends that I should be calling this article will have to suffice for now.

I was asking the Lord why we are not seeing the breakthroughs we've been praying for and the Lord told me to get more control over my mouth.  I have been learning about slander but I never realized how common slurring people has become in our society.

A slur can be a number of things: an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo or  words that have a shaming or degrading effect.  It can also mean to cast aspersions on someone or to depreciate a person's value.

The sad thing is that it's so easy to do, especially with family members.  Most of the time people don't realize they are doing it.  They have a stronghold of complaining and it leads to slurring their loved ones.

I asked the Lord what happens when I slur someone and the Lord showed me how my slurring someone puts a grey fog around them in the spirit realm so that the blessings of God are blocked and they have a hard time hearing God.  That woke me up!  Slurring by a Christian is tantamount to cursing them, plain and simple.

Now you do that to your husband, son or daughter once a day and you've blocked the blessings of God on them. The devil has used your mouth to stop God's kingdom from advancing.

This is serious stuff!  I need to get a better grip on my mouth and what I speak about!
I've been asking the Lord to help me recognize when this happens so I can repent out loud and get the person I'm talking to to agree with me for blessing our loved ones instead.  After all, it's only by God's grace that I am not doing ten times worse than them!

If complaining was all it took to stop the Israelies from entering their promised land, what makes me think that I will be able to keep complaining and enter my promised land?

Now you all know me and you know I've been working on my mouth.  This post is not meant to be hard on you but more of a self-confession so that you don't make the same mistakes as I have, lol.   If I can save you some pain or grief then I am all for it.

Here are some confessions that I've been renewing my mind with:

Lord, please give me more fear of You so I won't want to sin against you.  I know that the reverential fear of you leads to life. (ref. Prov. 19:23)

Thank You Lord  that the reverential fear of you is Life and that he/she who has it will rest untouched by evil. (Prov. 19:23 NEB)

Thank You Lord helping me to recognize when I am complaining or slurring someone.  I want to live by your standard, not the world's standard.

Thank You Lord for helping me to hate sin the way you do so that I won't want any part of it.  Show me how much you love my family members and the people I would tend to slur; politicians, bosses, leaders, pastors, etc., etc.  I choose to speak blessings over them instead, on purpose!

I am going to end with Psalm 15.  It's a special psalm for those who want to live in God's presence.

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

² The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
³ whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
⁴ who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
⁵ who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken. (bold highlights are mine)

Bless you!

Brenda Gale Thompson
p.s.  If this has blessed you please share!